











Copyright 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 


















“You needn’t be Afraid,’’ called out the Boy 




THE 

FAMILY ON WHEELS 


ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH BY 

Macdonald oxley 

Author of “ The Boy Tramps ” and 
“ The Romance of Commerce ” 




NEW YORK 

THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO. 
PUBLISHERS 




J u 


jjUDRARY of 30NGK£SS 

Fwo Sopies riecavoo 

AUG 11 1905 

Gopyrigni miry 

//. /^c /4 ; 
MUM& a- AX& Mm 

/ X 3 (> (TY 

COPY 6* 


Copyright, 1905, 

By THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO, 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Introducing the Family 1 

II. A Good Friend in Need 12 

III. The Tamby Family in Public 23 

IV. A Record Collection 34 

V. A Remarkable Fencer 46 

VI. The Animals Distinguish Themselves 56 

VII. The Stampeding of Nalla 68 

VIII. Nalla Recovered 78 

IX. Nalla to the Rescue 88 

X. Nalla Plays Pranks 98 

XI. At the Beaulieu Fair 109 

XII. The Rascal’s Revenge 119 

XIII. The Majesty of the Law 127 

XIV. Before the Magistrate 138 

XV. Nalla Obtains Assistance 148 

XVI. Nadine’s Illness 157 

XVII. In a Desperate Strait 165 

XVIII. The Recovery of Nalla 173 

XIX. In the Nick of Time 181 

XX. In Care of the Cure 191 

XXI. The Return to Morainville 199 

XXII. Reunited at Last 207 








THE FAMILY ON WHEELS, 


CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCING THE FAMILY. 

“One! two! right! left! one! two! Num- 
ber Three, you are not in line. Forward a little ! 
That’s it. Now then — one ! two ! right ! left ! ” 
It was early morning of a midsummer day, and 
a dozen or more boys, between the ages of ten 
and fifteen, marched out of the market town of 
Morainville, some armed with wooden swords, 
and others with broom-handles which did serv- 
ice as rifles, while the most of them were eating 
big slices of bread with keen relish. 

“ One ! two ! right ! left ! ” 

The time of the annual fete, when the soldiers 
would come, was drawing near, and for several 
days the youngsters of the place had been pre- 
paring to receive them in fitting manner. 

All their usual forms of play had for the nonce 
been abandoned in favor of drilling, and grave 
1 


2 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


councils of war, and much attention was given 
to the making of wooden swords and guns 
wherewith to more closely imitate the soldiers. 

Then came the important matter of choosing 
the officers, which, however, were always the 
same, because the smaller boys never failed to 
vote for the bigger ones, knowing well that if 
they didn’t they would assuredly get a licking. 

A couple of hoys in the party had a special 
talent for imitating the trumpet by placing their 
shut hand over their closed lips, and these led the 
little troop. 

By eight o’clock the children had marched over 
a mile, and reached the top of a hill planted with 
spruce trees on both sides of the road which 
slanted sharply in front and rear of their route. 

The captain of the company ordered a halt, and 
as their young legs were pretty tired, it was 
decided that they should there await the arrival 
of the soldiers. 

A sentinel was placed on the road to report the 
appearance of the regiment in good time to allow 
the boys to get ready for its reception. 

Half-an-hour later, as the little soldiers of the 
wooden swords waited beneath the spruce trees, 
the sentinel from his post of observation gave 
the signal. 


INTRODUCING THE FAMILY. 


3 


“ Hurrah ! there they are ! ” cried the hoys 
delightedly, and they made haste to draw up in 
line along the road. 

But it was not the regiment that came in 
view. No red trousers showed upon the horizon. 
Nothing save a big lumbering wagon, a mounte- 
bank’s van drawn by a single horse, made its 
appearance, moving in the direction of the town. 

Yet the sight of this solitary van would not of 
itself have sufficed to attract the curiosity of the 
children. Strolling performers ! why, they were 
nothing uncommon. They visited the town often 
in the course of the year, and one poor shabby van 
could never have constituted a counter-attraction 
to the most insignificant soldier in his red 
trousers. 

Nevertheless the youngsters stood there upon 
the road like statues, and, after their first exclama- 
tion of surprise, they were silent also, while their 
eyes fairly bulged from their sockets as they 
gazed open-mouthed upon that which was coming 
towards them. 

Beside the van moved the huge bulk of some- 
thing unknown that stalked solemnly along, 
looking neither to right nor left. 

What could it be ? So tremendous a creature 
had never crossed their vision before. 


4 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ Can it be a beast ? ” whispered one of the boys 
with trembling lips. 

“Why — yes — ” responded the captain, making 
a gallant effort to appear unconcerned, although 
he was greatly excited, “ a beast that can walk.” 

It was, indeed, bewildering. A monster beside 
which the horse that drew the van seemed no 
bigger than a dog — a monster whose height ex- 
ceeded that of the mountebank’s house on wheels. 

Then to one of the boys came an inspiration, 
and he cried proudly : 

“I know what it is. 1 saw the picture of one 
in a book my father was showing me. It’s an 
elephant ! ” 

“ What a whopper ! an elephant’s not a great 
brute like that. You don’t know what you’re 
talking about,” snapped the captain, ill-pleased at 
a private having ventured an explanation of the 
wonder. 

This silenced the youngster, and as none of the 
others could offer any better suggestion the little 
company, feeling decidedly nervous, made haste 
to climb the trees that lined the road just as the 
mountebanks and their elephant reached the top 
of the hill. Like a band of frightened monkeys 
they got among the branches uttering cries of 
fear, and then, with the effrontery of monkeys, 


INTRODUCING THE FAMILY. 


5 


took their positions as close as possible to the 
road so that they might obtain a full view of the 
strolling performers, and of the wonderful animal 
that sauntered so peacefully along beside their 
conveyance. 

“ You needn’t be afraid,” called out one of the 
mountebanks reassuringly. He was only a boy 
himself, and his keen eyes had taken in the situa- 
tion at a glance. “ There’s no harm in Nalla. He 
wouldn’t hurt anybody unless they hurt him first.” 

And as he spoke the lad stroked lovingly the 
trunk of the great creature that responded to the 
caress with little grunts of satisfaction. 

At this assurance all the boys descended from 
their refuge in the trees, and in a gingerly hesi- 
tating fashion, for they were still a little nervous, 
drew near the boy who was so manifestly in the 
good graces of the monster. 

What puzzled the boys was that they saw no 
sign of either the father or mother of the little 
players, of whom there were four, two boys and 
two girls. 

On the front platform of the van sat a girl of 
not more than sixteen, holding in her lap another 
of about five years of age. 

“Come now — Steady — hurry up!” cried the 
latter to the horse. 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


<c 0h ! let him alone ! he’s going as fast as he 
can, Lydia,” said the elder one. u It’s no use 
shouting at him.” 

But Steady did not mend his pace. He well de- 
served his name, for indeed a slower animal never 
wore harness. 

Behind the van came another youngster, not 
more than ten years old, followed by a black dog 
clipped so as to faintly resemble a lion. The 
boy and dog were evidently on the best of 
terms, and the one no less full of life than the 
other. 

It goes without saying that the whole party of 
boys, who had come out to receive the soldiers, 
completely forgot them in the novelty of this 
strange party, and constituted themselves a guard 
of honor for Nalla and his friends without giving 
another thought to the red trousers which had 
been the original cause of their early morning 
march-out. 

At the entrance of the town was a sort of open 
square formed by the joining of two roads, and 
it was there that the owners of the van, the 
Tamby family, had taken their stand when the 
expected soldiers, with fife and drums leading, 
at last marched into Morainville. 

As they watched them pass, looking very im- 


INTRODUCING THE FAMILY. 7 

posing indeed in all their martial splendor, little 
Caesar Tamby said to Nadine his sister : 

“The soldiers ! We have got here in the nick 
of time. We ought to take in a lot of money to- 
night.” 

But Nadine, whose pretty features wore a sad 
expression, shook her head doubtfully : 

“'Who can tell?” she murmured. “Perhaps 
the Mayor won’t allow us to give a performance.” 

She was going to find out, and she took with 
her the necessary papers to make a formal request 
for the authorization. 

Nadine, the eldest of the Tamby family, who 
undertook the always tiresome, and often trouble- 
some task of securing the necessary permission 
for the little troupe to make a stay within the 
bounds of a commune, and give public perform- 
ances, set off with no loss of time. 

She quickly made her way to the center of the 
town where the Mayor’s office was situated, but 
there encountered a lot of soldiers receiving direc- 
tions from their officers in regard to their stay at 
Morainville. It was accordingly with some diffi- 
culty that she was able to reach the office of the 
Mayor, which was crowded with officers who were 
engaging his attention. 

His worship was informed that a mountebank 


8 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


wished to see him about obtaining permission to 
make a stay in the town. 

“ I’ve no time to waste upon such folk, and, 
moreover, I won’t give the permission because the 
soldiers are here,” was his ungracious reply as 
conveyed to the anxious Nadine by the constable, 
who, noting her disappointment, added in a kinder 
tone on his own account : 

“ My young girl, the Mayor won’t see you, and 
as he has given his answer to your request you 
may take my word for it that it’s useless for you 
to wait about here. You’d better push on to some 
other town where you’ll have a chance to give a 
performance.” 

“ But, sir,” pleaded Nadine, her lip trembling, 
and her fine eyes filling with tears, “if we don’t 
perform this evening we shall have nothing to 
eat to-morrow. We might get along somehow 
ourselves, but our animals, they must be fed. ” 

The constable was touched by her plea, and the 
charm of her simple manner. 

<£ Very well, then,” he responded, laying his 
big hand upon her shoulder in a fatherly way. 
“ You’ll have to try and see the Mayor at his 
own house,” and the kind-hearted fellow gave 
Nadine directions how to find it, and what to do 
when she got there. 


INTRODUCING THE FAMILY. 


9 


The Mayor’s residence was quite a castle, and 
Nadine felt very timid about venturing to enter 
it, but she found the great portal open, and 
glided through without being observed by any 
one in the establishment, the fact of the matter 
being that on this day everybody had their hands 
too full to concern themselves about who might 
be going or coming. 

The staff of domestics seemed to be exceedingly 
busy. Several women in snow-white dresses were 
hard at work before the cooking range, one of 
them giving orders in a sharp voice, and the 
others replying promptly : 

“ Yes, Madame Frangoise,” and carrying out 
her instructions. 

A moment later Madame Frangoise caught 
sight of Nadine who stood shyly in the doorway, 
not daring to enter a place where everybody was 
so engrossed with their work. 

“ Who are you, and what do you want ? ” she 
demanded in a tone of irritation as she fixed her 
eyes on the young girl, and examined her from 
her head to her feet. “ Where did you come 
from ? ” she snapped. 

“ Madame,” replied Nadine in a low-toned 
voice, letting her head drop upon her breast. “ I 
came to see the Mayor, and to beg ” 


10 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS . 


“ No — no — we’ve no time for beggars to-day,” 
cried Madame impatiently, “ and the Mayor 
won’t be able to see you. Be off with you as 
quick as you can ! ” 

Nadine turned to leave with heavy heart when 
a door on the other side of the kitchen opened 
suddenly, and a lady of middle age, in a rich silk 
gown, entered the room. She was tall and hand- 
some, and her expression was so sweet and pleasant 
that somehow Nadine’s hopes began to revive. 

“ Was it you, Frangoise, who spoke so sharply 
to the child ? ” she asked in a tone that expressed 
both surprise and reproof. 

“ Well, Madame,” replied the servant, “ you see 
this is one of those little beggars, a mountebank’s 
daughter, who pay a visit to the town just for 
what they can steal. She came here begging and 
I told her that you had no time to attend to her.” 

The color flew to Nadine’s face, and her eyes 
flashed with indignation at these words which 
were no less unjust than they were cruel. 

She lifted her pretty head with a touch of pride, 
and her voice rang out clearly as she hastened to 
say : 

“ But I didn’t come here begging, Madame. 
I’ve never had to do anything of the kind yet, 
thank God. I simply came to ask permission of 


INTRODUCING THE FAMILY. 


11 


the Mayor to make my living in an honest way. 
That’s what I’m here for, I assure you,” and she 
made a respectful courtesy to the lady. 

“ But why didn’t your father come instead, my 
child ? ” asked the lady, regarding her with a look 
of kindly interest. “ You are very young to be 
attending to such matters.” 

“ Alas, I have no longer a father,” responded 
Nadine, her head drooping again, and the big 
tears welling up in her blue eyes. 

“ Well, then, your mother — Why does not she 
come ? ” was the next question. 

Poor Nadine’s voice almost failed her, and her 
answer was scarcely audible : 

“ I have no mother either.” 

“ What ! neither mother nor father!” ex- 
claimed the lady, throwing up her white hands 
with a gesture of astonishment and pity. “ Do 
you mean to say that you are all alone at your 
age?” 

Nadine lifted her head again, and a new light 
came into her fine eyes. They glowed with both 
love and pride as she said : 

“No, Madame, I’m not alone. I have two 
brothers, and a little sister, but they are all much 
younger than I, so I have to look after the busi* 


ness. 


CHAPTER II. 


A GOOD FRIEND IN NEED. 

Madame Pradere, the Mayor’s wife, regarded 
Nadine with deep interest. Although she had 
much to occupy her time and thoughts that 
morning, the situation the young girl had so 
simply disclosed was so unusual as to command 
her attention to the exclusion of other concerns. 

Nadine seemed no less modest and refined than 
she was pretty, and her big blue eyes, which con- 
trasted strangely with her black and curly hair, 
bore so sweet an expression that she must mani- 
festly be something altogether different from the 
strolling players with their bold hard looks, rough 
voices, and shabby finery, which were wont to 
come to the village. Dressed plainly in a black 
calico gown, and having a thin black shawl over 
her head, she certainly had every appearance of 
simplicity and honesty. She was undoubtedly 
poor, but her poverty was of that proud kind 
which does not seek to inspire pity, but bravely 
fends for itself, asking alms of nobody. 

“ My child,” said Madame Pradere, in a tone so 
12 


A GOOD FRIEND IN NEED . 


13 


full of kindness that Nadine’s heart grew warm, 
and she felt that the way out of her difficulties 
was beginning to open, “ the Mayor has not 
returned, and may not be back for a while yet ; 
but however busy he may be he shall spare you a 
minute, and if he thinks it all right he’ll grant 
you the permission you seek. Come with me,” 
she added signing to Nadine to follow her. “ You 
can wait for him in another room, for the kitchen 
is in confusion, and you may be in the way of the 
servants, who have a great deal to do.” 

Nadine followed Madame Pradere into a little 
parlor tastefully furnished, where there were ever 
so many pretty things that called forth her 
admiration. 

But she had too much sense to betray any 
indiscreet curiosity. Seating herself upon the 
chair the mistress of the house indicated, she 
made haste to express her gratitude. 

“You are very kind, Madame, very kind in- 
deed,” she murmured. 

“Not at all, my child, not at all,” was the 
response. “ But now tell me, you seek permis- 
sion from the Mayor to stay here a while in order 
to sell some little articles I presume ? ” 

“No, Madame. We have nothing to sell,” 
replied Nadine, gaining courage from the good 


14 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


lady’s gentle manner. “We are only strolling 
performers who give public representations with 
our animals.” 

“ Oh ! ho ! you have animals ! Trained dogs, 
I suppose, and that sort of thing,” and Madame’s 
comely countenance expressed an amused interest. 

“We have only one dog, Vigilant, who is very 
comical. He knows how to make the most 
morose people laugh when he plays his part with 
Nalla.” Nadine’s eyes brightened at the thought 
of her dog. 

“Nalla ! and pray who is Nalla ? ” 

“ Madame,” answered Nadine, her face growing 
serious again, “Nalla is our breadwinner. He 
is the chief attraction of our troupe, for you can 
easily understand that such mere children as we 
are daren’t pretend to be of much account as per- 
formers. In us by ourselves the public would 
take very little interest, and we couldn’t get along 
at all. But when we exhibit Nalla in all the 
streets, and make our announcements from his 
back, curiosity is aroused, and the people come in 
the evening to see our big creature’s perform- 
ance.” 

“ What do you mean ? ” exclaimed Madame 
Pradere, looking puzzled. “Your big creature! 
Is not Nalla, then, a dog like Vigilant ? ” 


A GOOD FRIEND IN NEED. 15 

“Oh, no,” cried Nadine, smiling, and fully ap- 
preciating the interest she was creating. “ Nalla 
isn’t a dog. Nalla couldn’t get into this big 
house, Nalla ” — and she paused a moment so as 
to emphasize the announcement, “Nalla is an 
elephant ! ” 

“ An elephant, do you say ? Is it possible ? 
How do you happen to own so costly an animal ? 
Why, it must be worth a small fortune ! ” And 
as she poured out these questions Madame Pradere 
scrutinized the girl with a certain air of per- 
plexity, for to her the idea of possessing an 
elephant seemed hardly consistent with actual 
poverty. 

Nadine understood the look, and her pale cheek 
flushed slightly. 

“I told you, Madame, Nalla is our bread- 
winner,” she said with a touch of apology in her 
tone. “But he is also more than that. He is 
our protector since our father died.” 

Madame Pradere’s expression at once changed 
to one of sympathy. 

“Is it long since you lost your parents?” she 
asked, adding with a kindly smile : “I may seem 
to be very inquisitive, but the fact is you interest 
me deeply, and I would like you to tell me your 
history. In the first place, what is your name ? ” 


16 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“Here are my papers, Madame,” responded 
Nadine, holding out an old portfolio carefully 
wrapped up in a bit of silk. “ They will tell you 
all about me.” 

“Oh no,” said the Mayoress, gently pushing 
back the portfolio. “You can show that pres- 
ently to my husband, but for myself I prefer to 
hear your story from your own lips.” 

Thus encouraged Nadine proceeded in her own 
clear simple way. 

‘ 4 My name is N adine Tamby . My elder brother 
bears the same name as was my father’s, Caesar. 
The second boy is named Abel, and my little 
sister, who is now just six years old, has our 
mother’s name, Lydia.” 

At the mention of the name of Lydia Madame 
Pradere’s countenance suddenly grew sad, and she 
gave a sigh that indicated sorrowful memories. 
In truth it had been the name of a little daughter 
that once brought joy into her life for a while, 
and then was taken from her, leaving a void that 
could never be tilled. 

Nadine meanwhile continued her narration. 

“ Our mother died four years ago when we were 
in the Tyrol, but it is only six months since we 
lost our father. He died of consumption after 
being sick for a long time.” 


A GOOD FRIEND IN NEED. 


17 


Nadine’s voice sank so low as to be scarcely 
audible, and the big tears moistened her cheeks 
so that she was fain to wipe them away with her 
handkerchief. Her parents had always been good 
and kind, and the pain of their loss was still 
acute. 

“ You poor little woman ! ” murmured Madame 
Pradere, in whose own eyes the tears were glisten- 
ing, “ and you are the little mother to the others 
now.” 

She was more deeply moved by what she had 
heard than she cared to show, and in order to 
conceal her emotion she continued to ply Nadine 
with questions which the latter answered so clearly 
and correctly that the Mayoress could not under- 
stand a young strolling player being so well 
educated. 

Had she only known the girl’s parents she 
would not have been so puzzled. Caesar Tamby 
and his wife were of respectable descent, and had 
always been true to their parentage in spite of 
the many temptations to which their mode of life 
exposed them. They had brought their children 
up with the utmost care possible in view of their 
roving life, and during the winter season, when 
it was not possible to give their performances, 
they had taken pains to teach them quite as much 


18 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


as they would have learned by attending the 
country school, for they were both well educated 
themselves. 

Thus the Tamby children, although their busi- 
ness was appearing in public and giving perform- 
ances to crowds that too often were by no means 
considerate of their feelings, nevertheless re- 
mained honest, simple, and refined in a remark- 
able degree. 

“ And your father, ” continued Madame Pra- 
dere, “was he always — ” here she hesitated a 
moment, and then finished the sentence with the 
polite word — “ an artist ? ” 

“ Yes, Madame,” replied Nadine. “His father 
was the manager of a circus in which he employed 
his five sons, of whom my father was the young- 
est. But on the death of my grandfather, and a 
series of misfortunes which followed it, the circus 
was broken up and everything sold with the ex- 
ception of Nalla, and Steady, which fell to my 
father.” 

“ Steady ! ” exclaimed Madame Pradere. “ Who 
is that? I know Nalla and Vigilant, but you 
haven’t mentioned Steady before. Is he a clever 
animal like Nalla, or a comic one like Vigilant? ” 

“ He is an animal that is as gentle as a sheep, 
and as good as can be,” smiled Nadine. “ Steady 


A GOOD FRIEND IN NEED. 


19 


is an old horse, who was once upon a time quite 
a celebrity, but who having become very old, a 
little deaf, and somewhat blind, is now fit only to 
drag the van, which is our home on wheels. All 
the same he is a very true friend, and we love 
him dearly for he does us good service. Steady 
was given his name by my mother who was an 
equestrienne , and who always mounted him with 
confidence because his regular movements made 
her performance so easy. And now, Madame,” 
Nadine concluded with a naive smile of apology 
for having talked so much, “ I’ve told you about 
our whole family.” 

Just then Madame Pradere heard the sound of 
a carriage rolling into the courtyard. She sprang 
up briskly and looked out of the window. 

“ That’s the Mayor returning!” she said. 

Wait here a few minutes while I speak to him 
about you,” and giving the girl an encouraging 
smile, she left the room. 

It was, indeed, the Mayor, accompanied by 
several officers who had been invited to lunch 
with him. These were former companions of M. 
Pradere, who had once been a lieutenant in the 
army, and had retired upon making a brilliant 
marriage, which rendered him independent. So 
there were great doings in the chateau. 


20 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Nadine with much concern heard the clinking 
of the swords, and the most appetizing smell of 
the extra cooking reminded her that the Tamby 
children had not yet had any breakfast that day, 
while the permission to perform that she had 
come to obtain was still in doubt. If it were not 
granted there was a poor prospect of food for 
either the family or their animals. Oppressed by 
these disturbing thoughts she sat there in an atti- 
tude of deep dejection. 

She was a young thing to be charged with such 
heavy responsibilities, and not a day passed that 
she did not keenly feel her youth and weakness. 
Yet before the other children her brave spirit 
never seemed to flag, or her resolution to falter, 
As she had to be both mother and father to them, 
she strove gallantly to fill her difficult part to the 
very best of her powers, and in truth it was 
nothing short of wonderful how well she suc- 
ceeded. Still there were times when it seemed 
as if her burdens were becoming too heavy to be 
longer borne by her. 

Meanwhile Madame Pradere had conducted her 
guests into the big dining-room which opened 
upon a spacious veranda whence there spread a 
broad green lawn reaching to the river’s edge. 

When all were seated at the table she turned 


A GOOD FRIEND IN NEED. 21 

to her husband with a bewitching smile, and 
said : 

“ Your worship, I have a great favor to ask of 
you. ” 

“ Madame, that favor is granted in advance of 
its being asked,” replied her husband with a gal- 
lant how, and a look of unmistakable pride and 
affection, for his wife was a beautiful woman, 
and greatly admired by all who knew her. 

“ And my request applies to Colonel Laurier as 
well as to you,” continued Madame, fixing her fine 
eyes upon the officer, who at once bowed in his 
turn, and hastened to say : 

“ I assure you, Madame, it will give me great 
pleasure to do anything you wish.” 

“I understand, Colonel,” Madame went on 
after acknowledging his prompt assurance with a 
gracious smile, “that your soldiers have taken 
complete possession of the market-place.” 

“They have, Madame,” responded the Colonel, 
considerably puzzled to guess what she was 
driving at. “There are so many of them, you 
know, that they require a lot of room.” 

“Yes, of course, I quite understand that,” said 
Madame, her handsome features expressive of a 
gay resolution that was immensely becoming. 
“ But do you know I shall need a part of the place 


22 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


this evening for a very fine performance, and I 
suppose you will be able to make room for the 
time.” 

Colonel Laurier was about to accede at once 
when the Mayor broke in hurriedly, and not 
altogether politely : 

“ Those mountebanks again ! Have you them 
in your mind, my dear ? But it is simply out of 
the question to-day. I could not think of granting 
them permission to perform in the market-place. 
You forget that there are two thousand soldiers 
there, and that it is my duty to guard against the 
occurrence of any trouble.” 

“ That is the very reason I am doing this, your 
worship, and why the assistance of Colonel 
Laurier and his officers will be so helpful,” per- 
sisted Madame, flashing her irresistible smiles 
from one to the other. 

“ Pray command us. We are certainly at your 
service,” responded the officers in chorus. 


CHAPTER III. 


THE TAMBY FAMILY IN PUBLIC. 

Haying thus prepared the way very skillfully, 
Madame Pradere, radiant at the prosperous 
progress of her enterprise, now revealed her 
purpose. 

“ I am very anxious,” she said with a charming 
glance over all her attentive listeners, “ to be 
present at the performance this evening, and I 
make bold, gentlemen, to beg of you to be present 
also. In that way all chance of anything amiss 
occurring will be avoided.” 

“ But you do not forget, Madame,” put in the 
Colonel, “that our being present will mean the 
absence of the soldiers, who could not sit with us 
without a breach of discipline.” 

“ Oh ! that will be all right, I promise you, 
Colonel,” responded Madame archly. “There’ll 
be no interference with discipline. The soldiers 
will be placed at the back, and in the front there 
will be seats reserved for the officers and our- 
selves.” 


23 


24 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Madame Pradere showed a spirit of irresistible 
pleasantry through it all. She was evidently 
delighted at having gained the cause of little 
Nadine, who was so anxiously awaiting the result 
in the adjoining room. 

“And now, gentlemen,” concluded Madame, 
“ will you permit me to present to you the chief 
of my troupe, who is just here, and whom I don’t 
want to keep waiting any longer ? ” 

“ By all means, Madame,” responded the 
officers. “ It will give us much pleasure.” 

The servant, Frangoise, was accordingly di- 
rected to bring in Nadine. 

“ Madame is carried away by these mounte- 
banks,” growled Frangoise as she went back to 
the kitchen after doing as she had been bid. 
“ It’s enough for these strolling players to have 
children to get her interest ever since she lost her 
own.” 

Nadine, blushing and bewildered, stood in the 
door of the dining-room where Frangoise had left 
her. The brilliant company of officers, the sump- 
tuous table decorated with plants and flowers, 
and laden with dainties such as she had never in 
her life tasted, and the whole richness of the room, 
took her breath away, so to speak, and she could 
not lift her eyes from the floor. 


THE TAMBY FAMILY IN PUBLIC. 25 

“ Don’t be dismayed, my child ! ” said Madame 
kindly, quite understanding the cause of Nadine’s 
confusion. “ Come forward, and give your papers 
to the Mayor, whom you see there.” 

Nadine shyly glided up to his worship, and 
handed him the papers which she took with great 
care out of the old battered portfolio. 

“ Do you mean to say that this is the chief of 
your troupe, Madame ? ” asked the Colonel in a 
tone that betrayed surprise and skepticism. 

“ Yes, Colonel Laurier,” Madame replied with 
a smile of amusement. “ That child is the eldest 
of four, having two brothers and a sister to whom 
she has been a little mother for the last six 
months, since they became orphans through the 
death of their father. She has to attend to all 
matters of business besides caring for the little 
ones that are really dependent upon her.” 

“ She is certainly very pretty,” murmured one 
of the captains as he twirled his mustache. 
Even if his gracious hostess had not already be- 
spoken his presence he would certainly have 
attended the performance in the evening, for 
Nadine was worth a second look. 

“ Madame,” remarked the Colonel with a gest- 
ure that implied he was entirely convinced, 
“your proteges are decidedly interesting, and 


26 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


we shall assuredly be delighted to accompany you 
to the performance this evening which I am sure 
will be most entertaining.” 

Meanwhile the Mayor had been quickly glanc- 
ing over the papers which Nadine had handed 
him. 

“ These are all in order,” he said with an im- 
portant air, “I shall grant the required permis- 
sion if you will be good enough, Colonel, to give 
orders to your men to make room for these 
people.” 

“ That will be done at once,” responded Colonel 
Laurier, and so, thanks to the intervention of the 
kind lady of the house, the whole matter was 
satisfactorily arranged. 

By this time Nadine had completely regained 
her spirits, and, before taking her leave, she said 
in a voice that was made all the sweeter by the 
deep feeling which its trembling betrayed while 
she bent low in a graceful courtesy : 

“ On behalf of my little sister and brothers, 
I thank you, gentlemen, from the bottom of my 
heart, and as for myself, I am your most dutiful 
servant.” 

Formal as the words sounded they were mani- 
festly sincere, but even more heartfelt were those 
she added, when, turning toward Madame Pra- 


THE TAMBY FAMILY IN PUBLIC . 27 

dere, she exclaimed, as she fixed her fine eyes upon 
the gracious lady : 

“You have been so kind to me, Madame, I 
cannot express my thanks,” and then she glided 
from the room. 

The moment she reached the street she set off 
at the top of her speed to rejoin the other children. 
She knew how impatiently they would be await- 
ing her return, particularly as the question of 
food for themselves and their animals hung upon 
her success. 

Caesar was the first to catch sight of her, and 
one glimpse of her radiant countenance was 
enough to tell him that all was well. 

“You have obtained the permission, haven’t 
you, Nadine ? 99 he cried, so soon as she came within 
hearing. 

“ Yes, Caesar,” she panted joyfully. “ It’s all 
right, and we can give a performance this evening, 
when we must do our very best, for we are going 
to have some important people present ; ” and 
the other two having joined them she proceeded 
to tell them all about her good fortune at the 
Mayor’s house, and the kindness of Madame 
Pradere. 

They listened with sparkling eyes and many 
exclamations of wonder and delight. Nadine 


28 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


certainly had a keenly interested and appreciative 
audience. 

“ And now, Caesar,” she concluded, “ you must 
go to the market and buy some nice fresh hay 
for Nalla and Steady.” 

“ But that will take our last cent, and what 
about our own food ? ” protested Caesar, who had 
the sharp appetite of a growing boy. 

“ Oh ! we’ll just have to wait,” replied Nadine 
decisively. “But Nalla and Steady must be 
attended to.” 

As she spoke Nalla moved towards his young 
mistress, and caressed her with his pliant trunk, 
making at the same time a curious deep sound 
that somewhat resembled the purring of a giant 
cat. 

“ Yes — you old dear — you shan’t go hungry 
even if we have to for a little while. You’re our 
good faithful breadwinner, aren’t you ? ” and she 
patted the thick soft trunk with her pretty hand. 

Caesar grumbled a little, but did as he was bid. 
Nadine’s rule was as firm as it was gentle, and, 
however the others might at times object, she 
rarely failed to have her own way in the end. 

So the elephant and the horse were soon enjoy- 
ing a hearty meal of succulent hay to which they 
did full justice. 


THE TAMBY FAMILY IN PUBLIC. 29 

A little later the whole party arrived at the 
market-place where they found a place made 
ready for them by the orders of Colonel Laurier, 
who had not forgotten his promise. 

Here Nadine found the gendarme who had 
been so civil to her in the morning. 

“ Young girl,” said he courteously, “ I am to 
show you the place where you can give your per- 
formance, and also to give you Madame Pradere’s 
instructions. So first of all tell me how you are 
accustomed to set up your outfit.” 

“ Oh, that is a very simple affair,” responded 
Nadine with an apologetic smile. “ We have, 
you see, our stage,” and she pointed to a few 
planks and trestles which were hung at the sides 
and underneath the van. “ But we have to hire 
some planks to serve as seats, and these we arrange 
in a sort of half-circle leaving plenty of room in 
the center for Nalla to go through his perform- 
ance.” 

“ So, so ! ” said the gendarme, shaking his 
head sagely ; “ that would be well enough for 
other occasions, but this time you will not hire 
any planks. There will have to be better ar- 
rangements made, for you are going to be 
honored with a very brilliant audience,” and he 
pursed up his mouth in a most impressive way, 


30 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS . 


“ for whom mere planks would never do at all, 
and so for the front rows there must be chairs, 
and very good chairs too ! ” 

“ But, sir! ” cried Nadine, appalled at the idea 
of the expense involved in providing such accom- 
modation, “ we can’t do that ! We have no 
money to pay for chairs ! ” 

“ Don’t you worry about that, little one,” re- 
turned the kindly gendarme, placing his hand 
upon her shoulder in a fatherly way. “ Leave it 
all to me. I have my orders from Madame Pra- 
dere, and shall see that everything is done just as 
she wishes. Unharness your horse, set up your 
stage, and let me attend to the rest.” 

Nadine was puzzled, but the fact that Madame 
Pradere had instructed the old gendarme calmed 
her doubts, and she said blithely : 

“ Very well, sir, I’ll do just as you say.” 

Caesar accordingly unharnessed Steady, and 
then, aided by Nadine, proceeded to take from the 
van the materials for the stage. 

This was always a hard bit of work for their 
weak arms, but it was particularly hard on the 
days when they had not had any breakfast. 
Nevertheless they would go bravely to work with 
the help of the intelligent elephant, who would lift 
and carry the heavier planks in his powerful trunk. 


THE TAMBY FAMILY IN PUBLIC. 31 

To-day, however, they had no lack of helpers, 
for, no sooner did the soldiers see what they were 
about, than they hastened to offer their assistance, 
and in a jiffy the stage was set up instead of 
taking many weary minutes. 

Just as it was finished a servant-maid carrying 
a large basket came up. 

“ Madame Pradere sent this to you,” she said, 
smiling, “ she thought you might like something 
to eat,” and she proceeded to produce from the 
basket a liberal supply of tempting food which 
she placed upon the stage. 

“ Truly your mistress is our good angel to- 
day ! ” cried Nadine, the tears of joy and grati- 
tude brimming her eyes. “ I shall not fail to 
present to her our thanks before we go away from 
here.” 

This was indeed one of the happiest moments 
of their lives. They forgot they had a single care 
as they breakfasted heartily upon the tender 
chicken, the snow-white bread with plenty of 
brown crust, the golden butter, and the rich milk 
which their benefactor had provided so thought- 
fully. They had never before enjoyed so delicious 
a repast, and Nadine’s natural refinement made 
her appreciate it all the more because of the 
elegance of its appointments, for the dishes, the 


32 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


napery, the knives and forks were from Madame’s 
own table. 

“May the good God bless her a thousand times 
and more ! ” she fervently exclaimed when at last 
even Caesar’s vigorous appetite was appeased. 
“ What a treat she has given us all ! Come 
now, let us put the things neatly back in the 
basket. 1 believe there is enough still left for us 
to have for dinner.” 

At three o’clock in the afternoon the Tamby 
family with the exception of Nadine, who re- 
mained in charge of their property, after the 
manner of performers of their kind, started out 
to parade the streets so as to let the people know 
of their presence and the entertainment they 
proposed to give. 

For this purpose a very shabby howdah was 
with no little difficulty, on account of its weight, 
fixed upon the patient Nalla’s back. In this, 
little Lydia, with Abel and Caesar, took their 
places, trying to look as important as possible. 

Caesar had a drum which he beat at intervals, 
and whenever there was anybody to listen to him 
he would call out the place and time of the ap- 
proaching performance. He always enjoyed this 
part of the business. He liked being before the 
public, and to be perched high up on the elephant’s 


THE TAMBY FAMILY IN PUBLIC. 33 

back, and attracting so much attention was quite 
according to his taste. 

As for Vigilant, he too had his part to play. 
He balanced himself cleverly upon Nalla’s broad 
neck just in front of the howdah and supported 
Caesar’s drumming by volleys of shrill barking 
which most clearly meant : 

“ Here we are ! Listen to us ! Come and 
patronize our entertainment ! We’re well worth 
seeing I can tell you 1 ” 

3 


CHAPTER IV. 


A RECORD COLLECTION. 

When the parade was over, and it attracted so 
much attention that Caesar predicted a bumper 
house for the evening, the Tambys made a very 
good dinner upon what was still left in Madame 
Pradere’s bountiful basket, and then Nadine and 
Caesar gave the finishing touches to the arrange- 
ments for the performance. 

What the little mountebanks called somewhat 
grandly their theater, was really but a few planks 
placed upon trestles not more than a yard high. 
The stage was about three yards long by as many 
deep, and there was a drop-curtain of calico sadly 
the worse for wear, while the back was closed in 
by a bit of canvas upon which had been painted 
some trees with the idea of conveying the notion 
of a forest. 

It was all pathetically simple and shabby, yet 
Nadine somehow managed by dint of her inge- 
nuity, aided by her excellent taste, to make it look 
better than on$ would imagine, by adding sundry 


A RECORD COLLECTION. 


35 


little decorative touches such as only a woman’s 
hand could bestow. 

Half -past seven came, and already not only 
small boys but grown-up people also began to 
secure their seats upon the planks, the chairs in 
front being of course all reserved for Madame 
Pradere and her guests. 

A few minutes before eight the soldiers ap- 
peared in great number, and the young Tambys 
would have had a difficult job keeping them out 
of the reserved seats but for the presence of the 
gendarme, who called out at the top of his big 
voice : 

“ You cannot take those chairs. They are re- 
served for certain distinguished patrons as you 
will soon see. Let me tell you, then, not to sit on 
them.” 

“Oh! we’re not deaf. We can hear you all 
right,” retorted the soldiers, making haste to 
settle themselves in the best places that were still 
available. 

When eight o’clock struck and neither Madame 
Pradere nor the other guests put in an appearance 
the spectators commenced to shout : 

“ Curtain ! Curtain ! ” and to utter shrill cries 
of impatience. 

It was the soldiers that called out “ Curtain ! ” 


36 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


after the fashion of the “ gods ” in the galleries of 
the real theaters which they had attended in the 
cities. 

Nadine and Caesar got very nervous, but they 
did not dare to begin before the arrival of Madame 
Pradere. 

At this juncture their good friend the gendarme 
came to their relief. 

“ Stupid that I am ! ” he exclaimed. “ Haven’t 
I forgotten to tell you that Madame, the Mayoress, 
will not be here until half-past eight, in time to 
hear you sing. You can therefore give the first 
part of your performance.” 

This information removed all their difficulties. 
The regulation three knocks were given and the 
curtain rose. 

Caesar, clothed in a long red gown, and wearing 
a hat shaped like a sugar-loaf after the usual 
manner of magicians, was revealed standing be- 
side a table covered with a Turkish table-cloth, 
on which were arranged the glasses and double- 
bottomed boxes which are indispensable to sleight- 
of-hand performers. 

Caesar’s tricks went off very well indeed, and, 
encouraged by the size and hearty interest of the 
spectators, he quite eclipsed himself. 

There were several hundred gathered, and 


A RECORD COLLECTION. 37 

among them a number of children who were 
especially eager to see the different acts in which 
Nalla, Steady, and Vigilant appeared. 

The soldiers, too, who often behave like a lot 
of children, grew impatient, and began to shout 
for the animals. They even attempted to imitate 
them, one grunting like the elephant, another 
neighing like the horse, and the third barking 
like the dog. 

But the animals were tethered out of sight be- 
hind the van, and did not make their appearance. 

When the clamor became too insistent Caesar 
came to the front of the stage, and held up his 
hand to ask for silence : 

“ Ladies and gentlemen,” he said with remark- 
able composure for a mere boy. “ We are now 
about to show you some tableaux vivants. For 
these we ask of you complete silence, and a little 
patience. The exhibition of the animals will be 
given very soon. We will carry out the entire 
program as announced, and we beg of you in 
return, if you are satisfied with our performance, 
to be no less liberal with your money than with 
your applause.” 

This little speech quite took the fancy of the 
crowd, who cheered it heartily, and were about to 
settle down again to look and listen attentively 


38 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


when the sound of approaching carriages made 
itself heard. 

Nadine’s heart leaped for joy. Here at last 
were Madame Pradere and her guests. The per- 
formance would be honored with their presence 
after all. 

A moment later they appeared, Madame lead- 
ing the way, her comely countenance covered with 
smiles, and accompanied by several of her lady 
friends, while Monsieur Pradere and a dozen of 
the officers followed in her train, among them 
being the Colonel, who had thus fulfilled his 
promise. 

This was a great surprise to the rest of the 
spectators, for certainly it had never been known 
before that ladies should be present at an open-air 
performance by mountebanks, while the soldiers 
were not less surprised to see their officers patron- 
izing such an affair. 

This, then, was the explanation of the reserved 
seats, and for a brief space the first-comers found 
it more interesting than the items on the pro- 
gram. By so happy a hit the little Tamby fam- 
ily had advanced wonderfully in the estimation 
of the spectators, who said to themselves that in 
order to attract such distinguished patrons as the 
Praderes and their friends they must have some 


A RECORD COLLECTION. 39 

very unusual acts in their repertoire, and no doubt 
deserved to be called the little artists. 

Nadine at once went forward to bow to Madame 
Pradere, and to thank her for the honor of her 
presence, and her kindness to the orphans. 

Madame Pradere made light of that, but went 
on to say with an encouraging smile : 

“ My child, I came especially to hear you sing, 
for I believe that you can tell us pretty things 
that we do not yet know. So proceed, my little 
girl. We are here to listen to you.” 

Nadine courtesied gracefully, and disappeared 
behind the curtain. When the curtain rose again 
she was disclosed in the middle of the stage with 
her little sister seated near while Caesar stood 
ready to accompany her with a mandolin. 

A perfect silence fell upon the audience. The 
girl looked so pretty and modest that she won all 
hearts, and everybody was in the mood to listen 
to her with appreciative attention. 

She began with a curiously rhythmical prelude, 
about which there was at the same time some- 
thing sweet, sad, and strange that gripped the 
hearts of her hearers. Then in a superb contralto 
voice, and with exquisite taste, she broke forth 
into song. 

As Madame Pradere had expected, Nadine’s 


40 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


singing was out of the usual order. She was 
telling in song the pitiful story of a mother who 
had 1 lost her reason after the death of her only 
child. 

The poor woman, wandering among the moun- 
tains of Bohemia, confides her grief to the passing 
winds, to the echoes murmuring unintelligible 
things, to the flowers nodding and smiling in re- 
sponse to the caresses of the evening breeze. 

In her madness she imagines that the soul of 
her child has taken refuge in one of the flowers 
which bestrew her pathway, and she goes from 
one to the other of them repeating her touching 
refrain : 

“ Tell me, 0 flower ! is it you that hides the 
soul of my child which was taken away from me 
by death ? ” Then realizing the futility of her 
inquiries she breaks out into sudden and terrible 
imprecations : “ 0 death, you merciless mon- 
ster ! Why did you take my child from me ? 
You are a foul fiend ! ” and more after the same 
fashion. 

But presently her mood changes, and, forget- 
ting her sorrow, she begins to sing to the same 
flowers that she had been cursing, in words of in- 
finite tenderness, such as mothers use to their 
darling babes. 


A RECORD COLLECTION. 


41 


When Nadine ceased singing instead of a burst 
of applause there was absolute silence. So com- 
pletely had she taken possession of her audience 
by the pathos and beauty of her song that they 
were unwilling to break the spell, and not until 
she bowed, and withdrew, did the applause break 
forth. 

Then it was simply thunderous. From every 
side came cries of : 

“ Bravo ! bravo ! encore ! encore ! ” 

Blushing and smiling and with her heart 
throbbing joyously Nadine, looking more charm- 
ing than ever, returned, and repeated the last 
verse of the song, putting into it such profound 
expression and such winning tenderness that 
many eyes were filled with tears. 

At this moment Madame Pradere called little 
Lydia to her and said, smiling through the tears 
that brimmed her beautiful eyes : 

“ My pet, you should now take up the collection. 
It is just the right time for it. Nadine has 
touched the people’s hearts and they will not re- 
fuse to put their hands in their pockets. Will 
they, Colonel Laurier?” turning to the officer 
who sat upon her right. 

“ No, indeed ! ” he responded warmly, slipping 
his own hand into his pocket whence came the 


42 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


significant jingle of coin. “ This crowd will 
give a fine collection I am sure.” 

“ Very well, Madame, I’ll run and tell Nadine,” 
responded Lydia, bowing prettily, and she darted 
off behind the curtain, which rose the next instant 
showing Caesar ready to announce the remainder 
of the program. 

“ Ladies and gentlemen,” he said with quite a 
grand air, as if fully appreciating the importance 
of what he had to tell them. “We are now to 
have the honor of presenting to you the famous 
trained elephant Nalla in his wonderful acts of in- 
telligence and skill. He is the wisest and kindest 
elephant in captivity. He understands every- 
thing we say to him, and he can talk a little to 
us in his own way. There is no other such ele- 
phant on the continent. We call him our bread- 
winner because he is the chief attraction of our 
little show. Before he appears Mademoiselle 
Lydia will pass amongst you, and will be pleased 
to receive whatever you may see fit to give in 
return for the amusement we have provided this 
evening, and while she is doing this, if you have 
no objection, I will play a few tunes upon my 
mandolin. If any one present desires a partic- 
ular air I shall be very happy to play it if I know 
how.” 


A RECORD COLLECTION. 


43 


Having made this clever little speech with ex- 
ceeding good grace, Caesar took up his instrument 
and in response to the request of one of the offi- 
cers, began the solo of the Toreador from “ Car- 
men,” which he gave with great spirit. 

Meanwhile Nadine accompanied Lydia, who, 
holding a wooden bowl in her hand, began the 
round of the spectators. 

Now on ordinary occasions this was the critical 
stage of the performance for the young mounte- 
banks, as upon what it yielded depended the grave 
question of the morrow’s bread, and too often, 
alas ! the results were pitifully meager ! Many 
a time had poor little Nadine, upon whom the 
chief burden of responsibility rested, found it 
hard to keep back the tears when, as Lydia set 
out with her howl, the majority of those who had 
been watching the performance turned their backs 
upon the children who had been doing their best 
to amuse them. Ah ! yes, many a time had 
Nadine, who had learned by experience to gauge 
her audience pretty accurately by one glance at 
them, felt her heart sink at the critical moment. 

But this time nobody slipped away. They all 
remained in their places, and seemed eager to 
respond to the appeal about to be made. 

Nadine first led Lydia up to Madame Pradere, 


44 the family on wheels. 

who had called for her that she might be the first 
to drop a coin into her bowl. 

Lydia, as was her custom, repeated in her 
childish quavering voice, the words : 

“ For the little Tambys, ladies and gentlemen, 
a trifle if you please.” 

But it looked as if she would be more than 
taken at her word, for Madame Pradere set a fine 
example by dropping a gold piece into the bowl ! 

When Nadine saw this the color rose in her 
charming face, and she murmured in a voice that 
trembled with feeling : 

“ Oh, Madame, thank you ! thank you ! ” 

“ Never mind thanks, continue your round,” 
laughed Madame Pradere giving Lydia a gentle 
push towards the Colonel. Then, turning to 
Nadine, she added : “ You have given me a 
great deal of pleasure, my sweet one, I assure 
you, and we shall want you to sing something 
more for us — another song about a child, if you 
can, you can do it with such expression. It goes 
right to one’s heart.” 

“ I shall be glad to do as you desire, Madame,” 
responded Nadine, and, with a graceful bow, she 
followed Lydia, whose little cries of joy showed 
that her mission was proving successful beyond 
precedent. In fact she was receiving white 


A RECORD COLLECTION . 


45 


money — nothing but white money — no dark coins 
at all. She had never before had such good 
fortune, and in her joy she forgot her sister’s 
admonitions, and danced about exclaiming : 

“ Another, Nadine, and another ! and still an- 
other ! ” 

But Nadine did not attempt to restrain her, for 
she saw that the people were amused with the 
child’s artless demonstrations. 

When she had been to all the reserved seats, 
she turned to the soldiers and workmen who were 
in the rear, and none of them failed to put in 
a few sous, although, of course, they gave no 
silver. 

Twice did Lydia empty her bowl into Nadine’s 
lap. It was the first time the Tamby family had 
taken so much at a performance, and their hearts 
glowed with joy and gratitude, while the specta- 
tors awaited the second part of the program 
with lively interest. 


CHAPTER V. 


A REMARKABLE FENCER. 

Amid perfect silence the elephant made his en- 
tree under the direction of his little friend Abel, 
who could do anything he liked with the good- 
tempered monster. 

He proceeded calmly to the center of the open 
space inclosed by the reserved seats, the planks^ 
and the standing spectators, and then with trunk 
lowered and motionless, stood at attention. 

“ Nalla ! ” said Abel, “ we shall now pay our 
respects to this distinguished gathering.” 

Then, taking off his toque, he made sweeping 
bows to right and left, which the docile elephant 
imitated by elevating and lowering his trunk in 
a dignified manner that was highly amusing. 

“ And now, Nalla,” continued Abel, who bore 
himself with all the importance of a grown per- 
son, “you will be good enough to let us see 
how much you know and can do. For instance, 
can you sing like your mistress, Mademoiselle 
Nadine ? ” 


46 


A REMARKABLE FENCER. 47 

“ To be sure, I can,” responded Nalla, in dumb 
show, by lifting his trunk up and down. 

“Very well, then,” smiled Abel. “Suppose 
you give us one of the songs of your own country, 
something sweet and tender.” 

Nalla threw back his enormous ears, and point- 
ing his trunk high into the air, let forth a series 
of horrible sounds that fairly stunned the ears of 
the spectators, who nearly rolled over with 
laughter while they strove to shut out the dread- 
ful noise by clapping their hands over their ears. 

“ That will do ! that will do ! Nalla ! ” cried 
Abel, giving the absurd creature a slight slap 
with his wand. “You sing beautifully, of course, 
but you have a shocking bad voice, and you 
haven’t the least idea of tune. You shall have 
to take a course of lessons before you again 
appear in public.” 

“ All right ! ” said the waving trunk, and the 
abominable discords ceased abruptly. 

“ It is evident that you have a very bad cold 
to-night, N alia,” said Abel, “and your voice re- 
quires attention. But if you sing so badly, per- 
haps you are better at dancing ? ” 

“ Certainly, I dance admirably,” responded 
Nalla, proceeding to put himself in position to 
begin. 


48 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ Would you be so kind, then, as to show our 
kind patrons a quick-step of your own inven- 
tion ? ” asked Abel. 

“ With pleasure,” answered Nalla, but he did 
not budge nevertheless. 

“ Why, what’s the matter ? Why don’t you 
begin ? ” demanded Abel, with well-simulated 
surprise and anger. 

For reply Nalla resumed singing with his huge 
horrid voice. 

“ Ah ! I understand,” smiled Abel, giving him- 
self a slap with the wand, “/was forgetting. 
You require some one to play for you, of course.” 

“Yes, yes,” replied the mobile trunk, which 
expressed its owner’s meaning quite as well as 
the fingers of deaf-mutes do what they want to 
tell. 

Turning around, Abel called out : 

“ Mr. Musician Caesar, will you be so good as to 
select from your repertoire something that will 
do for the elephant to dance to ? ” 

“ I shall be very pleased to do so,” responded 
Caesar promptly, coming forward with his man- 
dolin. 

“ Ah, thank you, musician,” said Nalla, look- 
ing highly pleased, and, as soon as Caesar struck 
up, he began dancing, if not with grace, at least 


A REMARKABLE FENCER. 


49 


with great earnestness. Indeed the huge crea- 
ture kept time with his feet, and circled about in 
a way that one could hardly have believed him 
capable of doing. 

“ Excellent ! Excellent ! Nalla ! ” exclaimed 
Abel, while the spectators showed their concur- 
rence by a hearty round of applause. “ You 
certainly are a famous dancer. Now that will 
do for the present. You can take a rest.” 

But, instead of obeying, Nalla continued his 
circling, and the waving of his trunk in a very 
droll fashion. 

“ That will do, I tell you,” Abel cried. “Stop, 
or I’ll have to make you ! ” 

Nalla only danced the harder, and was evi- 
dently mocking Abel with that wonderful trunk 
which seemed equal to expressing any emotion. 
The spectators laughed heartily. The elephant 
was more than fulfilling expectations. Indeed 
they had never before seen so intelligent and 
amiable a monster. 

“ Oh, I know what you’re driving at,” said 
Abel, the angry frown on his face yielding to a 
smile of comprehension. “ You want to fight a 
duel. All right ! I’m at your service.” 

Nalla wagged his trunk joyfully, ceased pi- 
rouetting, and took up a position opposite Abel, 
4 


50 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


who produced two foils with buttons, one of 
which he extended to the elephant. 

Nalla eagerly seized it with his trunk, and put 
himself on guard. 

“ Ready now ! ” cried Abel, and at once opened 
the attack with great spirit. 

But Nalla, dexterously wielding his foil, parried 
every thrust to perfection, and Abel could not get 
past his guard, try as hard as he might. 

The soldiers were highly amused at the lack of 
skill shown by the eight-year-old boy, and tried 
to be witty at his expense, whereupon Abel 
stopped the bout, and, facing the spectators, said 
in a tone of challenge : 

“ Gentlemen, you are laughing at my failure 
and want of experience. No doubt there are 
among you many much more expert at fencing 
than I am. In that case I shall be only too glad 
to make way. Does any one of those present 
wish to take my foil, and try a turn with Nalla ? ” 

At first there was no response, and Abel re- 
peated his request. Then a soldier advanced 
slowly. 

“ Ah ! ah ! there’s a champion ! ” was called 
out from the benches. 

“ You need not be afraid in the least,” said 
Abel encouragingly, for the soldier moved in a 


A REMARKABLE FENCER. 


51 


hesitating way. “ Fence with Nalla just as you 
would with a comrade. He will play you no 
mean trick, but I warn you that he’s very good 
at the game.” 

The soldier smiled cheerfully, and, grasping 
the foil, put himself in position vis-a-vis to the 
elephant. 

Nalla fixed his bright little eyes upon him, and 
with foil in trunk awaited the attack. 

Now this soldier who had come forward was a 
young fellow of spirit, who was not lending him- 
self to the little pleasantry in order to show off 
his skill at fencing. On the contrary, moved by 
the humor of the occasion, he entered the lists 
against Nalla quite ready to let the big brute 
carry off the honors, and without being troubled 
at all as to the figure he should cut himself. 

Accordingly he went at the elephant in lively 
fashion, but, thrust and feint and dodge as he 
might, he could not get inside the clever crea- 
ture’s guard, or touch any part of his huge body. 
Nalla parried every attack with a quickness and 
precision that was simply astonishing, evidently 
enjoying the play quite as fully as his active 
antagonist, who threw himself into it with such 
vim. 

For a while Nalla contented himself with main- 


52 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


taining his defense, but presently he changed his 
tactics, and assumed the offensive. Without 
moving from the spot upon which he stood he 
lunged and riposted with such swiftness and ac- 
curacy of aim that he touched the soldier's chest 
with the button three times in short order. 

“ Bravo! Bravo!” cried the spectators, de- 
lighted at the big fellow’s amazing skill. “ Go 
for him, old chap ! Touch him again. ” 

The soldier, not in the least alarmed, defended 
himself gallantly, but it was evident that he was 
completely overmatched, and a moment later, 
Nalla, as if taking pity on his adversary, by a 
clever pass, disarmed him, and then let his own 
foil drop. 

The place rang with applause while the soldier, 
carrying out the play with admirable spirit, as- 
sumed an attitude of profound humiliation. 

When the commotion subsided, there were 
cries from the soldiers for “ Master Deschamps ! 
Master Deschamps ! ” and Colonel Laurier turned 
around to survey his men with a questioning 
look. 

Then there came forward a tall athletic man 
with a strong dark countenance in which eager- 
ness and reluctance seemed to be contending. 
He was the fencing-master of the regiment, and 


A REMARKABLE FENCER . 


53 


had the reputation of being one of the most 
expert in the whole army. It was, therefore, 
only natural that the men should be anxious to 
see what he could do against so redoubtable an 
opponent. 

He approached the Colonel, and by an inquiring 
look sought to know the latter’s will. 

Colonel Laurier glanced at Madame Pradere, 
who in her turn shot a quick look at Nadine. 

Nadine smiled back unconcernedly. Madame 
Pradere nodded her assent to the Colonel, and he 
said in a low tone to Master Heschamps. 

“Try a bout with the creature, but be careful 
not to do him any harm.” 

The fencing-master bowed, and taking the foil 
from little Abel put himself on guard. 

The excitement was now intense, and the spec- 
tators were perfectly silent. The soldiers ex- 
pected great things from their champion, to whom 
every trick and strategy of the art of fencing was 
known, and the Tamby family were even more 
confident concerning their gigantic represent- 
ative. 

The fencing-master went to work very warily 
at first. He wanted to learn the extent of his 
novel antagonist’s skill, and he circled about in 
front of him, making dexterous passes and de- 


54 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


ceiving feints with such rapidity that they could 
scarcely be followed by the human eye. 

But the little black beads that twinkled in 
Nalla’s huge head were not to be misled. Wher- 
ever Master Deschamps’ foil flashed there was the 
elephant’s ready to meet it, and the air rang with 
the sound of steel striking steel while the spec- 
tators watched the strange struggle breathlessly. 

At last the man grew angry. It seemed ab- 
surd to be thus bettered at his own speciality by 
a mere animal however big. He darted this way 
and that, lunging fiercely, if not recklessly. He 
resorted even to devices that were not considered 
“ good form ” in the fencing-hall. But they were 
all alike in vain. Nalla, without stirring a foot, 
simply by waving his trunk with the foil firmly 
held in the end, parried every attack and re- 
mained untouched. 

Then Abel whispered to him the single word 
“ Now,” and at once he changed his tactics. Hith- 
erto he had been on the defense. Now he took 
up the attack. The foil fairly whistled through 
the air with the rapidity of his movements. 
Again and yet again the button touched the 
tunic of the fencing-master, not roughly, but 
with just sufficient force that there should be no 
mistake. 


A REMARKABLE FENCER. 


55 


Despite the discomfiture of their champion 
the soldiers broke forth into roars of applause. 
Nalla had won their hearts by his superb and 
placid dignity. He was the finest beast they had 
ever seen, and they did not grudge him his vic- 
tory. 

But Master Deschamps did not take it in 
equally good part. He felt bitterly humiliated. 
His face grew crimson with rage. His eyes 
glowed like burning coals, and at last forgetting 
himself in his fury he gave an inarticulate hoarse 
cry, and rushed at the elephant brandishing his 
foil with the evident intention of using it, not in 
the proper way, but as a whip wherewith to 
smite his successful antagonist. 


CHAPTER VI. 


THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 

Nadine screamed and darted forward. Ma- 
dame Pradere shrieked and rose from her chair. 
The Colonel sprang to his feet, and shouted : 
“Master Deschamps — Halt!” in his most com- 
manding tone. 

They were all concerned for the elephant, who 
was thus threatened with cruel blows from the 
shining steel. But their anxiety was after all 
unfounded. Nalla, perfectly alive to the impend- 
ing danger, stood motionless until the fencing- 
master was within range of that marvelous trunk, 
and then there was one movement of the sinuous 
powerful thing, the sharp swish of steel cutting 
the air, and the baffled soldier’s foil, torn from 
his grasp, went flying through the air into the 
darkness behind the van. 

There was one moment of amazed silence, and 
then burst forth a tumult of applause to which 

all previous ones were as nothing. The special 
56 


THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 57 

guests were delighted at the astonishing adroit- 
ness of Nalla, while the soldiers, not failing to 
appreciate it, were even more delighted at the 
discomfiture of Master Deschamps, who was a 
merciless martinet that often made their lives 
miserable. 

As for the fencing-master — he seemed so utterly 
chagrined, and slunk away looking so cast down, 
that Colonel Laurier considered he was suffi- 
ciently punished, and let him go unrebuked. 

After this excitement it seemed appropriate to 
have the soothing influence of a song, and ac- 
cordingly Caesar announced amid general approval 
that Nadine would now fulfill her promise of 
singing again. 

The little woman, her pretty countenance 
wreathed in smiles, for this wonderful evening 
had made her heart lighter than it had been 
for many a day, then came forward, and Caesar 
being ready with his mandolin, began a lovely 
cradle-song with a curious penetrating charm. 

The spectators were greatly pleased with it, 
and if Nadine had been guided by the successive 
waves of applause, she would have sung again 
and again. But the hour was getting late, and 
there still remained to be given the grand act in 
which all the animals took part, and which was 


58 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


being anticipated with the keenest interest by the 
younger portion of the assembly. 

First of all, the dog, Vigilant, with the cap of a 
mousquetaire upon his head, and a neat pair of 
boots upon his hind paws, made his appearance 
mounted upon Steady, looking very happy and 
important. He had, attached to his right paw, a 
tiny whip with which in a very comical way he 
flipped his steed from time to time as if he was 
impatient for the sedate old animal to quicken 
his pace. 

But Steady took not the slightest notice of 
these attentions from his rider. He came in with 
a slow chump-chump-chump, his head hanging 
between his fore-legs, and his whole appearance 
that of a horse thoroughly tired out, while Vigi- 
lant ran up and down his back from neck to 
tail and back again, his rapid barks expressing 
alternately coaxing and scolding, persuasion and 
abuse. 

Yet all without avail. Steady remained equally 
deaf to threats as to entreaties. He positively 
make one ache with sympathy to look at him, so 
perfectly did the clever beast enact extreme 
weariness. 

Presently Steady sank upon his knees, and, 
after resting in that attitude a 'moment, made a 


THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 59 

great effort to regain his feet, but seeming unable 
to do it, fell over on his side, and, stretching out 
his head, lay upon the ground as limp and motion- 
less as though he were dead. 

At once Vigilant, being thus sent to the ground 
much against his will, sent up a most piteous 
bewailing so far as it could be expressed through 
the medium of barking. He went to Steady’s 
head and barked right into his ears to make him 
understand the better. But all to no purpose. 
Steady did not budge. 

Then Vigilant got angry, and he circled around 
Steady pouring upon him a shower of blows from 
his whip. These having no effect, he stopped as 
if at last realizing that his steed was dead, and, 
squatting down on his hind legs, began to cry, 
and to wipe away the tears with his left paw in 
an exceedingly funny way. 

Suddenly he lifted his head and pricked up his 
ears. He heard the voice of a child singing 
softly. With an eager volley of barks he called 
for assistance. Whereupon Nalla appeared upon 
the scene with Lydia perched upon his broad 
neck. 

“ Did you call me, young sir ? ” asked Lydia 
precisely as if she were addressing one of her own 
kind. 


60 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ Yes — yes — ” yapped Vigilant excitedly. 

“ And what can I do for you ? ” inquired Lydia 
with a sympathetic smile. 

Vigilant did his best to explain. He pointed 
with his paw to Steady lying prone upon the 
ground, apparently dead, and with the most 
touching little barks he strove to make his 
meaning clear. 

Lydia looked as if she understood what he was 
driving at, but said in a guileless way : 

“ Young sir, I am only a child, and my educa- 
tion is far from complete. I can, it is true, speak 
several languages, but I know nothing of the 
one you use. However, I think that with a little 
patience it will be possible for us to understand 
each other. Do you follow me ?” 

“ Oh, perfectly ! ” responded Vigilant, bowing 
neatly. 

“ Very well, then,” continued Lydia. “ As you 
understand me, we shall proceed. I shall ask you 
some questions, and you will answer me, one 
bark being for ‘yes,’ and two for ‘no.’ You 
catch that ? All right. Have you come a long 
way ? Yes. You are, then, perhaps some young 
prince making a tour of the country ? ’’ 

“That’s it,” replied Vigilant. 

“ Very good ! You’re a young prince, I’ve no 



“Alas, I do!” answered the Dog. 





THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 61 

doubt,” said Lydia, “ judging from your dis- 
tinguished manners, and the elegance of your 
speech. But this horse that is lying down there, 
does he belong to you ? ” 

“ Yes indeed,” responded the dog emphatically. 

“ He is tired or sick, perhaps,” continued Lydia 
in a tone of sympathy, “and you cannot continue 
your journey, eh ? ” 

At this Vigilant made shift to weep, and to 
cross his paws over his heart in a most beseeching 
manner. 

“Your distress is very touching, young sir,’ ’ 
said the child. “You think your horse is 
dead ? ” 

“Alas, I do ! ” answered the dog in a long 
pitiful whine. 

“It is indeed very unfortunate that a young 
gentleman of your quality should find himself in 
this predicament in such a lonely place,” pursued 
Lydia. “ Your parents are no doubt anxiously 
awaiting your return ? ” 

“ You’ve just hit it ! You’re quite right,” the 
eager barking seemed to reply. 

“Ah! I understand,” went on Lydia, her 
face brightening with a sudden gleam of compre- 
hension. “You have perhaps disobeyed your 
mother ? ” 


62 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ Yes, I have,” Vigilant confessed with a very- 
penitent air. 

“Then you are being punished for your mis- 
behavior,” rejoined Lydia with the air of a 
grandmother. “So much the worse for you. 
You’ve been naughty, and you must take the 
consequences. I can’t do anything for you, young 
sir. Good-luck and good-bye to you. Come, 
Nalla, we must go on our way.” 

But Nalla did not stir, and began to make 
certain mutterings as though he were begging 
Lydia for something. 

“ What do you want, Nalla ? ” demanded Lydia. 
“ Do you wish to give some assistance to this 
young man \ ” 

The elephant’s trunk gave an emphatic answer 
in the affirmative. 

“Yes,” it seemed to say. “I do, because it 
would be a kindness.” 

“ To be sure ! I was forgetting your power,” 
returned Lydia, adding as she turned to Vigilant, 
“You are fortunate, young sir, that Nalla came 
your way, for you must know that having been 
brought up in a temple, Nalla, when he was 
young, received from the god Buddha the power 
of doing three times in his life whatever good 
action he might see fit, even though it were 


THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 63 

bringing a horse back to life, and Nalla now is 
going to revive your poor old horse.” 

On hearing this Vigilant poured forth a volley 
of joyful barks, and started dancing around in a 
way that Lydia called waltzing. 

Then Nalla, having lifted Lydia to the ground 
with his wonderful trunk which served so many 
useful purposes, approached Steady, whom he 
touched gently with his trunk, and, directed by 
Lj^dia, walked three times around him, waving 
his trunk in a curious spiral fashion. Next, 
thrusting it under the motionless horse, he en- 
deavored to lift him to his feet, but the moment 
he offered to take away the support the poor 
beast threatened to fall down again. 

Vigilant now saw that he must come toNalla’s 
aid, and he made haste to pile up the dust with 
his paws under each of the horse’s feet as the 
clowns do in the circus in their own ridiculous 
fashion. 

This proceeding evoked a roar of laughter from 
the highly amused spectators, and when it was 
finished Nalla let out a tremendous trumpeting, 
fit to rouse the world. It was effectual in rousing 
Steady at all events, and, with a shake that 
seemed to make his bones rattle, he stood up 
straight. 


64 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Vigilant was most profuse in his gratitude, 
making profound bows, accompanied by graceful 
salutes with the little whip fastened to his paw. 

Lydia again bid him “ Good-day,” and Nalla 
putting out his trunk for her, regained her place 
upon his broad back. 

As they were departing, Vigilant called them 
back. It was all well enough to bring his steed 
back to life, and set him upon his feet again, but 
now that he had dismounted he was quite unable 
to remount without assistance. 

“ Sure enough! ” smiled Lydia in response to 
his excited request. “ I might have thought of 
that. Nalla will be happy to do you that slight 
service, won’t you, Nalla?” 

Nalla waved his trunk in token of assent, and 
then extended it towards Vigilant. The dog 
kept perfectly still while the wonderful append- 
age that could do almost anything, picked him 
up in the most careful manner, and deposited him 
upon the back of the horse. 

Then the whole party withdrew, and the next 
moment Lydia reappeared to proceed with her 
song. But the other actors in the little scene 
were in such high spirits that they could not per- 
mit her to have the singing to herself. 

First, Vigilant lifted up his voice with great 


THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 65 

energy. Then Steady, to whom Lydia had given 
a lump of sugar, whinnied his satisfaction in an 
insistent fashion, and finally Nalla joined in with 
his deafening and by no means melodious trum- 
peting, swinging his huge head from side to 
side, and completing a quartet, whose music, 
while it stunned the ears of the audience, was 
certainly ridiculous enough to make the most 
morose smile, and win a laugh from the most 
dignified. 

This concluded the entertainment, and the 
spectators, thoroughly well pleased with what 
they had seen and heard, began to disperse. Ma- 
dame Pradere went forward to congratulate 
Nadine, and to invite her and Lydia to come and 
see her next morning before they left for another 
place. The Mayor and the Colonel also signified 
the pleasure the performance had given them, 
and in a little while the whole gathering had 
vanished. 

When they were by themselves in their van the 
young Tambys made haste to reckon up the re- 
ceipts of the evening with beaming countenances. 

“ It can’t be so much, Nadine !” cried Caesar 
on his sister announcing the total. “ You are 
surely mistaken ! ” 

“ Well, let us go over it again, Caesar,” rejoined 
5 


66 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Nadine with a happy smile, and accordingly the 
white and brown coins, among which kind Ma- 
dame Pradere’s gold piece glittered conspicuously, 
were once more carefully counted. 

“ One hundred and twenty-eight francs ! ” ex- 
claimed Caesar, springing to his feet, and waving 
his cap joyously. “ Just think of it ! We never 
had so much money of our own before ! And to 
get it all in one evening ! Oh ! that kind good 
Madame, and the polite Colonel, it was because 
of them we did so well. We owe it to them, 
don’t we, Nadine ?” and in the ecstasy of his de- 
light he threw his arms around his pretty sister’s 
neck, and kissed her warmly. 

Nadine blushed with pleasure at this rare 
tribute of brotherly affection. 

“ Yes, indeed, Caesar,” she responded. “ Ma- 
dame Pradere is certainly our good angel, and we 
shall all go to thank her again before we leave 
here. Oh ! if only our dear father were still 
alive, how glad he would be ! We never made 
so much at one performance when he was with 
us,” and at the recollection of her father the 
young girl’s fine eyes filled with tears, and her 
rosy lips quivered. 

But, controlling her grief, she smiled brightly 
through her tears as she added : 


THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 67 

“ We shall all have plenty to eat for a good 
while now, and Nalla, and Steady, and Vigilant 
will grow fat again. Come now, let us all get to 
bed. We’re tired out, and there’ll be plenty to do 
in the morning.” 

So in quick time the van was by a few simple 
changes converted into a sleeping-apartment, and 
after Caesar had seen to it that the animals lacked 
for nothing, the light-hearted quartet of children, 
having committed themselves to the care of the 
good God, whom their parents had taught them 
to love, lay down to sleep, little imagining how 
rudely their much-needed rest was ere long to 
be disturbed. 


CHAPTER VII. 


THE STAMPEDING OF NALLA. 

It was drawing near to midnight. The market- 
place was wrapped in darkness and silence. The 
Tamby family children inside the van were dream- 
ing pleasantly of fresh successes, while close by 
Nalla and Steady dozed comfortably after the 
labors of the day, and the excitement of the 
evening. 

The gendarme, whose duty it was to patrol the 
market-place, and who had been one of the most 
appreciative spectators of the performance, after 
making a few turns of the square, and assuring 
himself that things were all right, sat down upon 
some hay in a corner, and before he knew what 
he was about fell fast asleep. 

A few minutes later two dark forms glided 
stealthily out from an alley, and crept towards 
the Tamby s’ van. That their presence meant no 
good, the method of their approach clearly indi- 
cated, but who were they, and upon what mis- 
chief were they bent ? 

To answer this question it must be explained 
68 


THE STAMPEDING OF NALLA. 


69 


that in the town was an academy which had many 
pupils, and of these a number had attended the 
performance. On their return to the academy 
they got into a lively discussion about the animals, 
and Nalla, of course, was the chief subject. 

One of the elder boys, who really was well in- 
formed for his age, and liked to make a show of 
his learning, asserted that in spite of their size 
elephants were great cowards, and were terrified 
at the sight of a mouse. 

The other boys laughed at this statement. 

“ A great big elephant afraid of a tiny mouse !'” 
they cried. “ Fudge ! you don’t know what you’re 
talking about ! ” 

This angered Raoul, and the controversy waxed 
warm until finally, carried away by excitement, 
he shouted : 

“ Look here now, fellows, I do know what I’m 
talking about, and if any of you will get me a 
mouse I’ll prove it.” 

A chorus of derisive laughter greeted this chal- 
lenge, which angered Raoul still more, and he 
fairly screamed out : 

“Get me a mouse, and I’ll show you that I’m 
right ! ” 

“ A mouse ! a mouse ! who knows where to get 
a mouse ? ” called out one of the senior boys, 


70 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


looking around as though he expected some one 
to produce the tiny animal from his pocket. 

“ I do,” responded a little fellow with a sharp 
thin face that gave him somewhat the appearance 
of a mouse himself. “ I have three of them in a 
box. I keep them as pets.” 

At this announcement there was a shout of 
satisfaction, and the youngster was bidden to 
bring out his curious pets. 

He ran off, and presently returned with a little 
pasteboard box in which some live thing could be 
heard moving. 

“ Bravo!” cried the others with the excep- 
tion of Raoul, who looked decidedly disconcerted. 
“ Now we are all right. We have the mouse, and 
Raoul will show us how he can frighten the big 
elephant.” 

To judge by Raoul’s expression he would greatly 
prefer going off quietly to bed, but he was in for 
it now, and must at least make an effort to carry 
the thing through. 

So, summoning his resolution, he assumed a 
jaunty air, and said, gayly : 

“ Come along then. We’ll see if I’m not right.” 
And he led the way followed by as many boys as 
dared risk the consequences of being away from 
the school at night without leave. 


THE STAMPEDING OF NALLA. H\ 

They slipped out of the building silently, and 
directed their steps to the market-place. Here, 
Raoul, who was of course in command, ordered 
all but one to remain hidden in an empty stall, 
while he and his chum went over to the van. 

They moved as noiselessly as shadows, and 
when they reached there, the Tamby children and 
the animals were wrapped in profound slumber. 
Not even Vigilant scented their approach. 

Trembling all over with nervousness, their 
hearts beating like trip-hammers, and their 
mouths parched as with great thirst, the two 
boys crept near to Nalla, who stood beside the van 
as motionless as if carved out of stone. 

With shaking fingers they opened the little 
box, and, seizing its tiny occupant, threw it at the 
sleeping monster. 

The mouse struck Nalla full upon the trunk, 
and then dropped at his feet, stunned by the cruel 
blow. 

In an instant the great creature was awake, 
and the tip of his trunk touched the furry morsel 
on the ground, which squeaked and struggled 
piteously. 

The effect upon the elephant was appalling. 
A violent convulsion shook his mighty frame. 
He broke forth into terrible trumpetings, and, 


72 THE family on wheels. 

snapping his tether as though it had been only 
a thread, he dashed off at full speed into the 
darkness, flying panic-stricken from what had 
terrified him. 

Immediately wild confusion succeeded the quiet 
which had reigned. Vigilant set up a frantic 
barking, and Steady joined in with an anxious 
whinnying. The Tambys started from their 
sleep, and rushed out of the van in their night- 
dresses screaming with fright ; the gendarme, 
aroused from his pleasant dozing in the hay, 
sought to cover his lapse of duty by rattling his 
sword, and shouting fiercely : 

“ What is the matter ? What means all this 
row ? I demand to know at once.” 

But there was at first no one to answer him. 
The mischievous boys and Nalla had disappeared, 
and they alone knew what had taken place. 

Presently Nadine recovered her wits, and at 
once realized the situation. 

“ Nalla has been frightened,” she cried, “and 
has run off. Oh ! how shall we get him back ? ” 

“ Why, he’ll come back himself when he gets 
over his scare,” responded Caesar, doing his best 
to be cheerful. “If not, we’ll find him in the 
morning all right.” 

But Nadine was not to be easily comforted. 


THE STAMPEDING OF NALLA. 73 

Nalla’s frantic trumpeting had filled her heart 
with terror, and this combined with the sudden 
awakening from sleep, had completely unnerved 
her. She burst into tears, and wrung her hands 
as she sobbed out : 

“ Poor Nalla ! what will happen to him ? He’ll 
be sure to get hurt. Oh ! Isn’t it dreadful ! ” 

Her distress certainly had good grounds. A 
huge creature, mad with terror, charging wildly 
through the streets of the town, and perhaps out 
into the country, could hardly fail to do injury to 
himself if not to others. 

By the time the matter was made clear to the 
dull-witted though well-intentioned gendarme, a 
number of the soldiers had come over from their 
side of the market-place to offer their services if 
they could be of any use. 

An excited consultation followed in which 
several voices were always trying to make them- 
selves heard simultaneously, and there did not 
seem much hope of any practical issue until one 
of the officers put in an appearance, and he at 
once assumed the direction of affairs. 

He questioned the tearful Nadine and the 
troubled Caesar about Nalla and his habits, and 
on learning how kind and faithful a creature he 
was, he strove to reassure them. 


u 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ Make your minds easy,” he said in a tone of 
superior knowledge. “ Nothing dreadful will 
happen. The elephant will run until he is tired, 
and then he will find some nice fresh herbage, 
and he will stop to feed upon it. It would be no 
use trying to find him to-night, but immediately 
after reveille in the morning I will put at your 
services a detail of soldiers, and they will go out 
to look for your elephant.” 

Nadine and Caesar thanked him warmly. He 
was quite right after all. It would be useless 
searching for Nalla in the darkness. They must 
wait for daylight, and so they bade everybody 
“ Good-night ” and went back into their van to 
wait for the morning. 

The two younger children soon fell asleep again, 
but not so did Nadine and Caesar. They spent 
the long hours whispering to each other conjec- 
tures as to what could possibly have so frightened 
Nalla, and exchanging hopes of how soon he 
would be found again. 

At dawn they were ready and watching im- 
patiently for the soldiers. The officer proved 
even better than his promise, for having reported 
the affair to Colonel Laurier, the latter had in the 
goodness of his heart, ordered out fifty soldiers 
with the command that they were to continue the 


THE STAMPEDING OF NALLY. 75 

search until the elephant had been found and 
returned to its owners. 

At the suggestion of the officer, who was a 
particularly quick-witted young man, four parties 
were formed and one of the children accompanied 
each, the shrewd idea being that whichever party 
located Nalla there would be with it one that 
the great creature loved and trusted, and whose 
orders he would obey. 

The plan of campaign having been thus skill- 
fully arranged, the four parties set off upon their 
quest, going north, south, east, and west from 
the market-place. 

All this kindness was not without its cheering 
influence upon the Tambys, who quite recovered 
their spirits, and high with hope of nothing seri- 
ous having happened to their breadwinner, bade 
each other good-luck as the parties separated. 

It not being possible even for a story-writer to 
be in four places at the same time, only Nadine’s 
party will be followed. 

They steered due north, making inquiries of 
every one they met upon the route. At first the 
answers returned gave them no encouragement 
that they were in the right direction. But after 
they had cleared the town and got into the out- 
skirts, they began to hear of some strange enor- 


76 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


mous thing that had been caught sight of as it 
sped along the road. Those who first glimpsed it 
had not fully believed their senses, and supposed 
themselves to be the object of some delusion. 
Farther on, however, their informants had had 
more light to see by, and were able to give a 
better account, until presently they received so 
accurate a description of the marvel that they 
knew they were hot upon the scent. 

u We shall come up with him soon now,” said 
the officer confidently to Nadine. 44 He wouldn’t 
run far after he got tired, and he’d be sure to 
look out for something to eat.” 

They kept on at good speed, plying every one 
with questions, and getting such full replies as 
to the startling size and aspect of the creature 
that they expected to have his huge gray shape 
loom into sight at any moment. 

Finally they came to a prosperous farm among 
the outbuildings of which something very excit- 
ing was evidently transpiring, as the folks were 
hurrying thither breathlessly. 

“Nalla’s there!” cried Nadine, clutching the 
officer’s arm in her anxiety. 4 4 1 hope they’re not 
hurting him. Oh ! come, let us be quick and get 
to him.” 

“Hurting him!” laughed the officer. 44 Not 


THE STAMPEDING OF NALLA. 77 

much fear of that ! He can take care of himself. 
I’m more concerned about his hurting some of 
them. Come along ! ” and catching the girl’s 
hand he broke into a run. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


NALLA RECOVERED. 

They made their way around the rear of the 
barn, and then one glance was sufficient to ex- 
plain the excitement. Before them stretched an 
extensive market-garden, displaying a splendid 
variety of vegetables in full growth ; cabbages, 
cauliflowers, beets, carrots, radishes, celery, and 
so forth, covered the well-weeded soil with their 
succulent verdure. 

The sagacious elephant had not taken long to 
appreciate the opportunity upon which he had 
come by the mere chance of his frantic flight. 
The tempting green things had appealed at once 
to him, and he was busy sampling the different 
delicacies, pulling them from the ground with 
that wonderful trunk of his quite as deftly as the 
proprietor or his servants could have done it with 
their hands. 

Meanwhile the latter, armed with pitchforks, 
rakes, brooms, and other rural implements, 
were keeping a respectful distance as they shouted 

n 8 


NALL A RECOVERED. 


79 


and waved their weapons at the voracious in- 
truder, who proceeded with his feast as steadily 
and calmly as if he neither saw nor heard them. 

The officer broke into laughter in which Nadine, 
relieved beyond expression at the sight of her 
precious elephant, not only unharmed, but enjoy- 
ing himself so hugely, could not resist joining. 

“ Just look at the clever old fellow ! ” chuckled 
the officer. “ Isn’t he having a fine time of it ? 
It seems a pity to disturb him.” 

“ Oh ! but he will do so much damage, and we 
will have to pay for it ! ” cried Nadine, who had 
always, poor girl, to consider the financial side of 
things, for was she not the little mother of a 
family that had many needs ? 

“ That’s so ! ” responded the officer, making a 
grimace. “ There’ll be a bill for damages, I sup- 
pose. Let us go to him and get him to stop his 
blow-out at once.” 

Nadine’s appearance was not noticed by the 
rustics until she went right up to the elephant, 
and seized his trunk, saying : 

“You naughty Nalla ! you mustn’t do that ! 
You’re stealing these vegetables, and I’ll have to 
pay the farmer for them.” 

To the amazement of all save the officer, the 
elephant at once stopped his eager feeding, gave 


80 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


forth a joyful trumpeting, passed his trunk affec- 
tionately over Nadine’s face, and then, wrapping 
it about her body, lifted her slight form to his 
neck, where he deposited her as gently as a mother 
would her baby. 

From her commanding position Nadine made 
haste to address the open-mouthed rustics. 

“ I am so sorry, my Nalla,” she said, patting 
the huge head with a certain air of reproof that 
the intelligent creature really seemed to under- 
stand, “ has given you such a scare, and eaten so 
many of your vegetables. But something fright- 
ened him last night on the market-place, and he 
ran away, and we have been hunting for him 
ever since dawn. I will pay the owner of the 
garden for the damage he has done.” 

The murmur of astonishment changed into one 
of applause. There are no people with a livelier 
appreciation of dash and daring than the French, 
and Nadine’s dramatic appearance on the scene, 
and remarkable self-possession for so young a 
girl, made a profound impression. 

One of the men cried out, “ Bravo! Bravo !” 
and the others joined in, their hitherto frightened 
faces beaming with relief and interest. 

The quick-witted officer saw the chance of 
getting Nadine out of the difficulty without any 


NALLA RECOVERED. 81 

cost ; stepping forward and making a gesture to 
command attention, he said : 

“ It is true that the elephant has done a certain 
amount of damage here, for which his young 
mistress is quite willing to pay if the proprietor 
of the garden insists ; but it has occurred to me 
that you might like to have the big fellow pay 
the bill himself, by showing you how clever he 
is, and how he understands every word that his 
mistress says to him.” 

This proposition was received with an instant 
chorus of approval, and the proprietor, a good- 
natured prosperous man, who had by this time 
completely got over both his fright and his in- 
dignation, having graciously signified his assent, 
the officer turned to Nadine and said : 

“ Now, Mademoiselle, will you be kind enough 
to show these good people what a very wise and 
intelligent animal your elephant is ? ” 

Nadine, smiling radiantly, for her young heart 
had been sorely troubled at the prospect of having 
to pay, she had no idea how much, for what 
Nalla had destroyed or eaten, at once proceeded 
to put the great creature through his repertoire 
of tricks. 

He bowed, he danced, he sang, he picked up the 

tiniest objects with his trunk, he responded 
6 


82 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“yes ” or “ no,” most appropriately to her ques- 
tions, and altogether so delighted the country- 
folk that they were loath to let him leave 
them. 

But of course Nadine, so soon as her mind 
was relieved, bethought herself of Caesar, and 
Abel, and Lydia, and was impatient for them 
to be spared further anxiety. So as soon as it 
could be managed she took her departure, hav- 
ing thanked the proprietor very prettily for his 
leniency. 

She rode on Nalla’s neck back to the market- 
place, and her return was somewhat in the nature 
of a triumph, for the others had all got back with 
nothing to report, and were consequently in very 
low spirits, and when she appeared mounted upon 
the missing animal they shouted and screamed 
for joy, while the crowd that had gathered out of 
curiosity vigorously applauded. 

They had just got over their demonstrations, 
and were setting about preparations to make a 
move from the town towards the next halting- 
place, when the gendarme bustled up to say that 
the secret of the elephant’s stampede had been 
discovered, and that Nadine’s presence was re- 
quired at the Sous-Prefet’s office. 

“You will please come with me, Mademoiselle,” 


NALLA RECOVERED. 


83 


puffed the fat old fellow. “ I will be your escort, 
and you shall have the satisfaction of seeing the 
rascals who played such a mean trick upon you 
properly punished.” 

Nadine, dear little soul, was so happy at the 
affair having terminated without any ill conse- 
quences, that she had not the slightest desire for 
vengeance upon the perpetrators of the mischief, 
and would fain have let the matter rest. But of 
course a summons from the Prefet could not be 
disregarded, so, leaving to Caesar the packing-up, 
she accompanied the gendarme. 

In the Mayor’s office she found a number of 
people, and among them three very miserable 
looking schoolboys, who were presently subjected 
to a sharp examination. 

It seemed that the absence of the boys from the 
school had been detected by one of the teachers, 
who set himself to discover what it meant, and 
by clever investigation had got to the bottom of 
the affair, whereupon, not knowing how serious 
the outcome might be, he had reported it to the 
authorities. 

Raoul and two others were accordingly haled 
to the Prefet’s office for a sort of preliminary 
examination, and Nadine was called upon to be 
prosecutor 


84 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS . 


Instead, however, of presenting her complaint, 
she put in an earnest plea for the culprits, who 
were much about her own age. 

“ Please, your Honor, I don’t want them to be 
punished. Nalla is not a bit the worse for his 
fright. Indeed,” she added naively, “he is the 
better for it by such a fine breakfast of vegetables 
as he has not had for a long time.” 

A ripple of laughter ran around the crowd at 
this charming little speech, and the Prefet with 
a gallant bow to Nadine, said, graciously : 

“You make a very good advocate, Mademoi- 
selle, and as you do not want to appear as prose- 
cutor in the matter I will dismiss the accused, 
and let the authorities of the school deal with 
them as they see fit for the infraction of disci- 
pline. Permit me to congratulate you upon the 
fortunate termination of the accident.” 

Raoul and his companions regarded Nadine 
with looks in which gratitude and admiration 
were manifestly mingled. They had come to the 
Prefet’s office in fear and trembling, and they 
would, of course, be well punished by the head of 
the school as it was, but the dismissal by the 
Prefet without any penalty was an altogether 
unlooked for peace of luck, which they owed in 
large measure to the very person who had most 


NALLA RECOVERED . 85 

reason to find satisfaction in their being condignly 
punished. 

Nor did Nadine’s magnanimity go without re- 
ward. The whole affair served as the best kind 
of advertisement, and the demand on the part of 
those who had not been present at the first per- 
formance, to be given the opportunity to attend 
another, was so urgent that she wisely changed 
her plan of leaving the town that day. 

“We shall not, of course, get anything like so 
splendid a collection as we did last night, because 
good Madame Pradere and the kind officers will 
not be there again ; but we shad most probably 
get a good deal more than we usually do, and so 
it will be worth our while to stay over one more 
night.” 

Caesar quite concurred in the wisdom of this 
proposal, and accordingly the preparations for a 
move were stopped, and in their place they began 
arrangements for the evening. 

The sequel fully sustained the shrewdness of 
the young girl’s forecast. The Tamby family, 
their youth, their brave independence, their won- 
derfully trained animals, the interest taken in 
them by the Mayor and his good wife, and the 
shabby trick which had been played upon them 
by some of the pupils at the academy, were the 


86 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


talk of the town, and long before the hour an- 
nounced for the beginning of the performance the 
plank seats were bending beneath their load of 
humanity, while behind and around them the 
crowd was packed as close as possible. 

The whole program of the preceding evening, 
with some additions, was given without a hitch. 
Nalla, Steady, and Vigilant played their several 
parts to perfection, and the spectators applauded 
contentedly. 

When it came to the collection the response was 
not quite so generous as at the first performance. 
There was no Madame Pradere to lead off with 
a gold piece, and no officers to emulate her with 
silver coins. 

But there were some “ white pieces” never- 
theless, and a great number of “ brown pieces,” 
so that altogether the Tambys felt well repaid for 
their evening’s work. 

The following morning Nadine, taking Lydia 
with her, went to pay her respects to Madame 
Pradere, and to thank her for her great kind- 
ness. On the way she met the good-natured 
gendarme, who let her into the secret of Madame 
Pradere’s interest in them. 

“You must know,” said the genial old fellow, 
“ that Madame Pradere has suffered a terrible 


NALLA RECOVERED. 


87 


affliction. She once had four children, two boys 
and two girls, just as there are in your family, 
and the youngest of them was, strange to say, 
named Lydia, and, sad to tell, she lost all four of 
them within two years ! ” 

Nadine’s eyes filled with tears, and her heart 
thrilled with sympathy for her benefactress when 
she heard this. 

“ The poor lady ! ” she murmured. “ I am so 
sorry for her, and she is so kind.” 

Madame Pradere received the two girls cordi- 
ally, and asked them how they were getting on, 
and what were their plans for the future. 

As they were taking their leave, she handed 
Nadine a sealed envelope, saying : 

“ Keep this in a safe place, and do not open it 
unless you are in great need. Remember me, 
my dear child ; I will always be your friend.” 


CHAPTER IX. 


NALLA TO THE RESCUE. 

The Tambys’ intention was to proceed to the 
fair at Beaulieu, where mountebanks usually did 
well, and as it would open in three weeks, and it 
would take them quite twenty days to get there 
with so old and weak a horse as Steady, they had 
little time to lose. 

They set off in the forenoon, all four of them 
deeply regretting that they must leave this place, 
where they had found so many kind friends, and 
once more make their way amongst strangers, 
the most of whom took no interest in them what- 
ever. 

En route to Beaulieu they halted frequently to 
give performances, with varying success. Some- 
times the receipts would hardly be enough to buy 
food for the animals, and sometimes more than 
sufficient to provide for them all. 

“ It is certainly fortunate that we did get such 
a fine collection at Morainville,” said Nadine one 
night, when a mere handful of small dirty copper 


NALLA TO THE RESCUE. 


89 


coins was all they received for a very tiring per- 
formance after a long day’s travel, “ or I don’t 
know what we should do now. I am using as 
little of it as I possibly can, but it is getting less 
and less all the time.” 

4 ‘Oh, never mind, sister!” responded Caesar, 
who was of a very hopeful disposition, and did 
not worry like Nadine, not feeling the same 
sense of responsibility ; “ we’ll make plenty of 
money at the fair, see if we don’t.” 

“I hope we will, I’m sure,” returned Nadine, 
letting the anxious look drop from her pretty 
features ; “ for you see the summer is coming to 
an end and the winter will be at hand before very 
long, and we must have a good deal saved up to 
carry us through that.” 

“And we will have it, dear Nadine,” cried 
Caesar confidently, giving her a brotherly hug, 
and a smacking kiss that brought the blushes to 
her cheeks. “ Never fear about that. The good 
God will take care of us,” and off he went whis- 
tling merrily, Nadine following him with as much 
love and pride in her look as though she were his 
mother. 

He was really a fine chap, Caesar— brave, bright, 
manly, unselfish, and devoted to his sisters and 
little brother. Not as shrewd and far-seeing 


90 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


as Nadine, but clever enough in his way, and 
certain to get on in the world, if given a fair 
chance. 

Their worst experience was at Malaventure, a 
town that had grown up beside a large colliery, 
whose miners formed the bulk of the inhabitants. 
Nadine, with her remarkable intuition, had some 
misgivings about performing there, because the 
place had rather a bad reputation for rowdyism, 
the miners being for the most part a rough lot ; 
but Caesar, having faith in the youth and beauty 
of his sister to appeal to the chivalry of the men, 
and insure a warm reception and proper treat- 
ment, was strongly in favor of their trying their 
fortune, and so she assented. 

Had they been compelled to rely upon their own 
accomplishments they would have fared badly in 
regard to an audience, for the rough miners saw 
nothing to attract them in the performance of a 
quartet of children. 

The elephant, however, was quite another mat- 
ter. He was well worth examining at close 
quarters, and, moreover, it could not fail to be 
amusing to see so huge and apparently clumsy a 
creature doing tricks. Accordingly a large num- 
ber of them gathered, and noisily shouldered and 
chaffed each other as they crowded close upon the 


NALLA TO THE RESCUE. 91 

space before the van in which the performance 
was given. 

Nadine was undeniably nervous. The big 
coarse men frightened her, and she regretted 
that she had yielded to Caesar’s persuasion. But 
having once begun they must perforce go through 
to the end, so she put on a brave face, and went 
ahead. 

The miners were pleased to be in a critical 
mood. They jeered at Caesar’s jugglery, ridiculed 
his playing, and sent poor little Abel off the stage 
in tears. Of Nalla, however, they were good 
enough to approve. He evidently realized their 
expectations and put them in such good humor 
that when, following him, Nadine appeared to 
sing, they received her so warmly that for the 
moment she forgot her nervousness, and bowed 
and smiled back at them in a charming way that 
evoked still more vigorous applause. 

Accompanied by Caesar on the mandolin she 
sang a pretty little love song which took very 
well, and was insistently encored. When she had 
responded and Caesar had announced that after 
the collection was taken up the final act in which 
all the animals appeared would be given, she 
deemed it best not to send little Lydia among 
those rough men, but to go herself. 


92 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Accordingly, bowl in hand, she started on her 
rounds, and at first although some of the men 
tried to display their rude wit at her expense, 
and were amused by the indignant flush which 
crimsoned her countenance, she had no real 
trouble until in going through one of the rear 
rows a big black-bearded fellow attempted to 
throw his arm about her and give her a kiss. 

Nadine screamed, and by a quick movement 
evaded the repulsive embrace, but the ruffian, 
who had been drinking too much brandy, lurched 
after her as she darted towards the van, calling 
out : 

“ Caesar ! Caesar ! Help ! ” 

Caesar, who was at that moment behind the 
curtain, dressing Vigilant for the next act, 
dropped the dog, and rushed to the front, pick- 
ing up one of the foils on the way. 

The black-bearded bully was close upon Nadine’s 
skirts, none of the other spectators having the 
courage to interfere, and it seemed as if he might 
reach her before Caesar, when relief came from 
an unexpected quarter. 

Old Nalla had stood beside the van solemnly 
swaying his trunk, and to all appearance lost in 
profound contemplation, until Nadine’s scream 
reached his ear. Then the great ragged flaps 


NALLA TO THE RESCUE. 


93 


were pricked up, and from in front of them the 
bright, beady, little eyes peered forth keenly. 
Without making a sound the huge creature 
glided towards the audience, and was at the edge 
of the crowd almost without being noticed. 

At that moment Nadine flew past pursued by 
the bully, whose outstretched hand sought to 
grasp the long tresses of her beautiful hair. But 
before it could close upon the silken braid a long 
sinuous thing suddenly shot forth and enfolded 
the ruffian. To his paralyzing horror he was 
lifted from his feet, and swung into the air amid 
the panic-stricken outcries of the spectators. No 
one thought any more of Nadine. Their eyes 
were fixed upon the bully struggling vainly in 
the irresistible grasp of Nalla’s trunk, and shout- 
ing frantically for help. 

The elephant held him thus on high for one 
thrilling moment and then flung him to one side, 
as though he had been a bundle of straw instead 
of being a hulking big fellow weighing full two 
hundred pounds. 

He fell upon the hard pavement with a terrible 
thud, and lay there so still that the appalled 
spectators thought he must be dead. 

Nadine was the first to be at his side. The in- 
stant Nalla intervened she divined what would 


94 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


happen. More than once she had seen him pick 
up fierce dogs with that marvelous weapon of 
his, and throw them so far that they never 
returned to the attack. 

“ Oh ! I hope he isn’t dead ! ” she panted. “ It 
would be dreadful if Nalla killed him.” 

The big gross body showed no sign of life, and 
the people crowded around it making all sorts of 
futile suggestions, but doing nothing, when a 
couple of gendarmes appeared, and ordered them 
to stand aside. 

One of them then examined the man carefully, 
and, to Nadine’s inexpressible relief, announced 
that he was not dead, only insensible, and he 
bade his comrade go for a surgeon. 

In a few minutes the latter returned with a 
spectacled person who looked very wise and digni- 
fied, and proceeded to make a thorough examina- 
tion of the insensible man. 

“ There is probably some concussion of the 
brain,” he announced, “ but not of a serious char- 
acter. How was he injured ? ” 

Half-a-dozen began to speak at once in response, 
but the next moment gave way to Nadine, who 
described what had happened in a clear correct 
manner. 

“ Hum ! hum !” murmured the surgeon. “ A 


NALLA TO THE RESCUE. 


95 


very odd accident indeed in this quarter of the 
globe, and the rascal richly deserved what befell 
him. Where is this highly intelligent elephant ? 
I should like to make his acquaintance. ” 

Caesar had hustled Nalla off behind the scenes, 
but on Nadine calling out : 

“ Caesar ! Caesar ! Bring Nalla out ! ” he forth- 
with led him out again. 

The surgeon bowed gravely to the great beast, 
who returned the salute with a gracious wave of 
his trunk, for Nalla never erred in discriminat- 
ing between friends and foes. 

“ I am very pleased to meet you, Sir Elephant,” 
said the surgeon. “ You have just given a proof 
of your sagacity that I regret I was not present 
to witness. May I express the wish that you 
will always be as ready to champion the fair and 
defend the weak ! ” 

As he said the last words he bowed low to 
Nadine, who smiled and blushed in return, and 
then he withdrew to give further directions con- 
cerning his patient. 

Both Nadine and Caesar were much concerned 
lest, when the bully recovered his senses, he would 
endeavor to get revenge upon Nalla, and so give 
them a great deal of trouble. But their fears 
were groundless. 


96 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


It was not until late in the following day that 
he recovered from the effects of his downfall, and 
then he had the good sense to think only of 
returning to his work with as little delay as 
possible, so that no more was heard about the 
matter. 

The Tambys were glad to leave Malaventure 
at an early hour the following morning. Owing 
to the interruption right in the middle of taking 
up the collection their receipts amounted to only 
a few francs, and the fright which Nadine got 
told upon her nerves so that it was several days 
before she entirely regained her normal serenity. 

Pushing on steadily in the direction of Beaulieu 
they came to an ideal spot for a few days’ rest. 
It was a snug little dell beside a clear running 
stream, and sheltered by a semicircle of thick- 
set trees. 

“ Caesar, ” said Nadine, wrinkling her white 
forehead with a profound air of thought, “ we 
have been working very hard this summer, and 
I think that before we get to Beaulieu, where we 
shall have to give two performances every day 
while the fair lasts, we ought to take a holiday — 
don’t you think so, my brother ? ” 

“ Right you are, my dear!” cried Caesar, de- 
lighted at the suggestion. “ I’m just dead tired 


NALLA TO THE RESCUE. 97 

of keeping on day after day like this. Let us 
stay here as long as we can, eh ? ” 

Of course Abel and Lydia gleefully concurred, 
and when Nalla and Steady were consulted, they 
clearly signified their approval, while Vigilant, 
divining that there was something to be joyful 
over, barked his best, and frisked about merrily. 
So the matter was settled, and permission having 
been obtained from the authorities of the village 
to which the chosen spot belonged, they prepared 
to spend several days in well-earned idleness. 

7 


CHAPTER X. 


NALLA PLAYS PRANKS. 

The weather was glorious. By day the sun 
poured down his golden warmth from an almost 
unclouded sky, and by night the harvest moon at 
her full rode high in the heavens. The four 
children forgot all their sorrows and cares for 
the time. Thanks to their success at Morain- 
ville, and the good hopes they cherished of profit- 
able patronage at Beaulieu, they felt no concern 
about finances. It was a case with them of eat — 
drink— sleep, sufficient for the day are the blessings 
thereof ; to-morrow can take care of itself. 

Nadine was the only one who pretended to do 
any work, excepting of course that Caesar looked 
after the feeding of Nalla, old Steady being able 
to look after himself as the grass was abundant 
in their vicinity. 

Nadine, being the little housewife, in addition 
to having the daily meals upon her mind, found 
much necessary sewing to keep her clever fingers 
busy, and it was only when Caesar would snatch 
the garment away from her, crying : 


NALL A PLAYS PRANKS. 


99 


“ Come, let that alone for a while, sister. You 
work quite too hard. You must play with us a 
little,” would she laughingly obey orders, and go 
off with the others for a romp or a ramble. 

Of course their presence aroused the curiosity 
of the people in the neighborhood, and they had 
many visitors, who for the most part behaved 
very well, some indeed bringing them welcome 
presents of fruit and milk and butter, which 
were keenly appreciated. 

As might be expected, they begged for a per- 
formance, and in view of their kind treatment, 
Nadine thought they could not very well refuse; 
so she promised that they would give one on the 
evening before their departure. 

The happy restful days slipped by all too 
quickly, and the end of their short holiday was 
at hand. 

“ Oh dear ! ” sighed Caesar. “ This is our last 
day. We must be on the road again to-morrow 
if we would reach Beaulieu in time to get a good 
position. I do wish we could stay another week.” 

“ So do I,” chirped little Abel. “ Why can’t 
we ? It’s so nice here, and we needn’t be in such 
a hurry, surely.” 

“ But we do need,” responded Nadine, patting 

the little fellow affectionately on the head. “ It 

L.of C. 


100 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


is important that we should get to the fair before 
the best places are taken, for we must make all 
the money there that we possibly can. The 
winter will soon be coming on, when we can’t 
earn anything, you know.” 

Abel made a rueful grimace, but did not con- 
tinue the argument. Nadine was right of course. 
She always was. Nobody could be wiser than 
Nadine. Yet there were times when it went 
against the grain to do everything just as she 
wished. 

However, there was still a whole day left, so 
let them make the most of it. In the evening 
they would give their performance and the next 
morning they would resume their journey. 

In the course of his roaming about the coun- 
try, Caesar had found a large deep pool not far 
down the stream from their camping-place, in 
which he had enjoyed sundry refreshing baths. 
It now occurred to him that it was just the 
place for another purpose. 

“ Look here, Nadine,” said he, “ old Nalla hasn’t 
had a good bath for a long time, and I’m sure it 
would do him good. Suppose we take him down 
to the pool I’ve been bathing in, and let him 
have a dip in it. I’m sure he’d enjoy it im- 
mensely, and it would be good for him, too.” 


NALL A PLAYS PRANKS. 


101 


“ I believe you’re right, Caesar,” replied Na- 
dine. “We will take him down there after 
dinner, and then he’ll be in fine trim for the 
performance this evening. ” 

Accordingly, right after dinner the whole fam- 
ily, accompanied by Vigilant, left Steady to his 
browsing, and went off down stream escorting 
Nalla, who trumpeted cheerf ully in evident expec- 
tation of some sort of a treat. ” 

When they reached the pool Caesar, pointing to 
it, said : 

“ There, Nalla, is a splendid place for you to 
have a bath, such as you haven’t had for a long 
time. In you go, old fellow, and enjoy your- 
self.” 

The elephant needed no urging. The day was 
hot, the flies troublesome, the water cool and in- 
viting. With a blast of delight through his 
trunk, and a flapping of his great ears, he strode 
into the pool, and did not stop until the water 
had almost reached the top of his back. Then he 
gave himself up to the enjoyment of his bath 
with the most amusing abandon. He wallowed 
in the cool clear water without heed to the stir- 
ring up of the mud. He sank down in it, leaving 
only the tip of his trunk above the surface. He 
filled his trunk with the water, and blew it out 


102 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


again, sending the muddy spray to a considerable 
distance — in fact, no schoolboy in a “ swimming- 
hole ” on a broiling midsummer day could have 
enjoyed himself more thoroughly. 

The Tambys, seated in the shade on the bank, 
watched his antics with lively appreciation. 
Nothing was too good for Nalla in their opinion. 
They had no better friend than the faithful, 
docile elephant, and they loved him as deeply as 
an animal could be loved. 

The time slipped by, and Nalla showed no signs 
of growing weary of his fun. He would come 
out into the shallower part of the pool at inter- 
vals and squirt the muddy water over his hack 
and sides, and then he would plunge in again, 
going almost out of sight. 

Presently Caesar considered that he had enough 
of it, and that he ought to come out in order to 
he made ready for the parade through the vil- 
lage street, which would precede the performance. 
So he went to the edge of the pool, and said : 

“Now, Nalla, you’ve had a grand time, and 
you’d better come out and get dried off, so come 
along, old fellow.” 

Nalla looked at him with his absurdly small 
eyes, in which there surely lurked a mischievous 
twinkle, but made no move. 


NALL A PLAYS PRANKS. 


103 


4 4 Hurry up, you lazy chap!” called Caesar 
laughingly. 4 ‘ Don’t be so slow. We have to 
prepare for the parade.” 

Nalla manifestly understood what was wanted 
of him, but, instead of obeying, retreated fur- 
ther into the pool. 

This angered Caesar, whose temper was of the 
quickest, anyway, and he stamped his foot as he 
shouted : 

44 Here, now, no nonsense! You must come 
out, and that right away. Do you hear ? ” 

Nalla, with admirably simulated reluctance, 
moved slowly shoreward, until he was within a 
few yards of Caesar, and then, pointing his trunk 
at him, he squirted from it a quantity of muddy 
water that drenched and dirtied the boy from 
head to foot, and nearly knocked him over. 

Almost blinded, and wholly enraged, Caesar 
picked up a stick and threw it at the elephant 
with all his might. But he might as well have 
thrown it at the side of a house for all the 
effect it had on Nalla’s massive head. The cute 
little eyes only twinkled the more merrily, and 
their owner backed away again, as if he had 
changed his mind about coming ashore. 

Caesar was in a towering passion. The elephant 
had certainly added injury to insult, and had it 


104 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


been in the boy’s power to punish him severely, 
he would have delighted in doing it. 

Nadine now felt it time to intervene. 

“Let me try what I can do with Nalla,” she 
said gently to Caesar. “ While you go back to 
the van and change your clothes. I am sure I 
can manage him.” 

Caesar was very loath to confess himself beaten, 
and Nadine had to do some coaxing before she 
could get him to follow her suggestions. But at 
last, after another effort to make Nalla stir by 
abusing him vigorously, he gave up in despair, 
and went off to the van to put on dry clothes. 

As soon as he had gone Nadine tried her hand. 
She went to the water’s edge, for she felt sure 
Nalla would not treat her as he had done Caesar, 
and stretching out her hand which contained a 
slice of bread left over from their lunch, said in 
her most winning tone : 

“ Come here, Nalla. I have a bit of bread for 
you, and I want you to leave the water. You’ve 
been in it quite long enough.” 

Nalla gave her a look that said plainly : 

“I understand you perfectly, and of course 
you’re right, so I suppose, now that I have had 
my fun, I may as well do what you wish.” 

So, slowly moving his vast bulk, he came to- 


NALL A PLAYS PRANKS. 


105 


wards her, picked up the bread with his trunk, 
passed it into his cavernous mouth, and continued 
his way out of the water, until he stood on the 
grass, a very muddy, but very contented creature. 

“ You dear old thing !” cried Nadine, patting 
the end of his trunk affectionately. “I knew 
you’d obey me. You just love me, don’t you ? 
and I love you.” 

Nalla returned the caress after his own fashion, 
and then, without another word, proceeded back 
to the van, his whole gait and manner expressing 
the utmost good-humor. He had had his fun, 
and he was now ready to return to duty. 

By the time they had all returned to the camp- 
ing-place, Caesar had quite recovered his equa- 
nimity, and joined heartily in the laughter at 
Nalla’s impertinence. 

“ He got the best of me that time, and no mis- 
take,” he said ; “ but I’ll be even with him yet, 
see if I’m not ! ” 

They made haste to deck themselves out for the 
parade, and spent an hour marching up and down 
the village street, while Caesar from the howdah 
on Nalla’s back, called out the place and time of 
the performance. 

Then back to the van for supper, and after sup- 
per a general move into the village where they 


106 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


found a capital location, in a small square beside 
the town- hall. 

“ We shall no doubt have a good crowd,” Na- 
dine remarked thoughtfully, when the simple 
preparations had been completed, “ for the people 
have certainly taken a lot of interest in us, and 
have been very kind too, but perhaps they may 
not have much money to spare. They don’t seem 
to be rich around here.” 

“It won’t be another Morainville, that’s cer- 
tain,” said Caesar, shaking his head dolefully. 
“Such luck as we had there doesn’t come often. 
But,” he added, straightening himself up, and 
looking more cheerful, “we’ll give them the best 
performance we can, and hope that they will give 
us all the money they can, eh ? ” 

The villagers began to gather early, and by the 
time the performance opened every seat was 
filled with women and girls, while a crowd of 
men and boys stood up behind, or squatted upon 
the ground wherever a clear view of the stage 
could be obtained. 

One after another the different acts were given, 
and warmly received. A more appreciative gather- 
ing could hardly have been desired. Caesar’s 
juggling, Nadine’s singing, the animals’ acting, 
and Lydia’s dancing were all enthusiastically 


NALL A PLAYS PRANKS. 


107 


encored. But when the little bowl appeared a 
marked change came over the spirit of the spec- 
tators. They not only grew indifferent very sud- 
denly, but actually seemed anxious to slip away. 

This was not a new experience for the Tambys, 
and hitherto they had been content to take it 
silently, but this time Caesar’s blood was stirred. 
He had not counted upon any such meanness, and 
the indignation it aroused gave him courage to 
do what he had never done before. 

Springing upon the stage he called for attention 
with an emphatic gesture, and, when all eyes were 
turned upon him, he began an address to the 
assemblage. 

“ My friends,” he said, “you have done us the 
honor to attend our simple performance, and you 
have shown by your applause that it has pleased 
you. Now you must know that we do not give 
these performances for our own amusement, hut 
to gain our daily bread. We are by no means 
well-off even if we do possess an elephant and a 
horse. We need every sou that we can earn to 
pay for the food of our animals and ourselves, 
and to meet our other needs. If you have en j oyed 
our performance so much we would like you to 
show it not only by applauding, but by putting 
into the bowl which my little sister is about to 


108 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


pass around, what you can spare us. We do not 
expect silver from everybody, you know,” he 
added with a humorous twinkle of his eyes. 
“We are glad to get copper — if there is only 
enough of it.” 

This clever little speech, delivered in a clear 
voice, and without the slightest suggestion of 
presumption, touched the listeners in the right 
way. It opened both their hearts and their 
pockets, and when Lydia went her rounds 
amongst them they responded in a most credit- 
able manner, so that the receipts were enough to 
cover a whole week’s expenses. 

Nadine was particularly pleased at this, because 
it enabled them to push right on to Beaulieu with- 
out halting to give performances en route. Their 
holiday therefore was an unalloyed success, and, 
thoroughly refreshed by it, they kept on day 
after day until at last they reached Beaulieu, 
a whole day before the opening of the fair, and 
in ample time to secure an excellent position 
for their van, where it could not fail to attract 
attention, and so insure no lack of spectators 
when they gave their performances. 


CHAPTER XI. 


AT THE BEAULIEU FAIR. 

A country fair was no novelty to the Tambys. 
They had attended too many of them already in 
their young lives to get excited over the inev- 
itable bustle and confusion. Their chief concern 
was not to see everybody and everything, but to 
attract as large gatherings as possible to their 
performances, and induce them to give liberally 
when the little bowl was passed around. 

This time they felt full of hope. They were 
greatly benefited by the brief holiday, and they 
were thoroughly satisfied with the location they 
had secured, and so on the opening day of the 
fair, after having carefully locked up the van, 
and seen to it that Nalla and Steady were 
securely tethered, they left Vigilant in charge 
of their property while all four of them made 
a tour of the streets which were given up to the 
fair. 

In this they had a double purpose. They would 

“ see the sights,” and they would also get a good 
109 


110 THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 

idea of what were the rival attractions with 
which they must needs contend for the patronage 
of the people. 

They found the streets thick-set with booths 
displaying all sorts of small- wares, and thronged 
with light-hearted folk, who, if they had not 
much money to spend, would at all events get the 
full value of every sou with which they parted. 
It was neither a brilliant nor a costly display, but 
it was quite attractive notwithstanding, and the 
two younger Tambys saw many things that they 
very much wanted to purchase. 

Now it would be Abel, and then again Lydia, 
dragging Nadine or Caesar up to some booth, 
and eagerly indicating the object that caught 
their fancy. 

But their cutest coaxings were for the most 
part in vain. It was to earn money, and not to 
spend it, that they had come to the fair, and 
beyond the purchase of a few inexpensive trifles 
Nadine would not be persuaded. 

“ No, no, my dears,” was her firm though gentle 
reply. “ All our money must go for necessaries. 
We have none to spend upon things we don’t 
really need. I wish very much we could afford 
to spend twenty francs or even more on the 
pretty things we see in the booths, but if we did 


AT THE BEAULIEU FAIR. m 

we might have to go hungry, and we wouldn’t 
like that, would we, little ones ? ” 

Of course they had to submit as cheerfully as 
they could manage. It was no use pouting or 
sulking, and indeed they yielded to their elder 
sister’s rule with uniformly good grace. 

Having completed their tour of inspection, and 
satisfied themselves that, although there would 
be no lack of competition for popular favor, they 
stood a good chance of reaping a fair share of 
the harvest of coin to be distributed by the pleas- 
ure-seekers, they returned to where they had left 
their van. 

To their acute amazement and consternation 
the familiar weather-worn house on wheels, which 
contained all their possessions, save the three 
animals, had disappeared, and in its place was 
another, larger, and newer, painted in glaring 
gaudy colors, and having a general air of vulgar 
audacity. 

“Why, Caesar!” cried Nadine, her fine eyes 
wide with alarm, and her heart beating fast. 
“What can this mean? Who has taken away 
our van, and put another in its place ? ” 

Caesar understood the situation at a glance. 
The owners of the other van, finding the 
location which they had in view already taken, 


112 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


and learning that it was only four children who 
owned the shabby old affair that stood there, had 
had the audacity to put Steady into the shafts, 
and remove the van out of their way while they 
put their own in its place. 

Burning with indignation he went up to the 
van, and knocked at the closed door. After some 
delay it was opened by a large black-bearded 
rough-looking man, who demanded with an oath 
what the boy wanted. 

Undismayed by the ruffianly appearance of the 
fellow, Caesar spoke up stoutly : 

“ What have you done with our van, and what 
right had you to take it away, and put yours in 
its place ? ” 

Removing a cigarette from his lips the man sent 
a puff of smoke right into Caesar’s face, and then, 
with an insolent chuckle, said : 

“Well, my young cock, and what are you 
going to do about it ? ” 

Half-blinded and choked by the foul reek of 
the coarse tobacco, and roused to fury by the ruf- 
fian’s insolence, Caesar for a moment could not 
speak. When he did find words it was to pour 
out his wrath in language so biting that the man 
was angered in his turn, and he made as though 
he would strike the boy, but checked himself when 


AT THE BEAULIEU FAIR. H3 

Nadine screamed, and darted in between them, 
crying : 

“ Come away, Csesar. It’s no use quarreling 
with that fellow. We must find the gendarme. 
He will get us our place back again.” 

The man grunted scornfully. What cared he 
for their threat ? He had the place now, and they 
would find it no easy matter to dislodge him. 

The first thing, of course, was to find their van 
and animals. These were presently discovered in 
an obscure lane not far away, none the worse 
for their being moved. While assuring himself 
that everything was intact a daring idea flashed 
into Caesar’s brain. To appeal to the authorities 
would mean delay, and perhaps disappointment 
in the end, as they might have difficulty in estab- 
lishing their prior right to the location. But 
there was another way of regaining their rights. 
The intruders had taken the law into their 
own hands, why should not the Tambys do like- 
wise ? 

He at once unfolded his scheme to Nadine. 

“ Oh, no, Caesar ! ” she exclaimed. “ Don’t try 
that. You’d certainly get into a big row. He is 
such a bad looking fellow.” 

But Caesar was determined. They had the 

right on their side, and he felt confident that if 
8 


114 THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 

there was a row, and a crowd gathered, that the 
sympathy would be with them, not with the 
ruffian, and they would regain their place. 

So, with many misgivings, Nadine consented, 
and they set to work at once. Steady was put 
into the shafts, and the van, followed by Nalla, 
drawn back into the square. 

Then Caesar mounted the elephant. The man 
had gone back into his van, and closed the door. 
Obeying his young master’s orders as accurately 
as if he had possessed human intelligence, Nalla 
seized the shaft of the intruding van, and began 
to pull it out into the center of the square. 

At the first movement the man flung open the 
door, swearing furiously, and shouting out : 

“ What are you doing ? Leave my van alone ! 
How dare you interfere with it ? ” 

When he saw how it was being moved, how- 
ever, he made no demonstrations against the 
elephant. He was altogether too big an antag- 
onist. It was a case where discretion was 
decidedly the better part of valor. 

But he abused Caesar in the vilest language, 
striving to terrify him by the sheer violence of 
his threats. 

Caesar, securely seated upon Nalla’s neck, only 
laughed at him, while, without pausing, the ele- 



Nalla seized the Shaft of the intruding Van 




AT THE BEAULIEU FAIR. 115 

pliant tugged away at the van until it was drawn 
well out into the middle of the square. 

By this time quite a crowd of spectators had 
gathered, and, Nadine having in her own viva- 
cious way explained what it all meant, they unani- 
mously took her side. If the infuriated owner 
of the van had attempted to resort to violent 
measures he would assuredly have found himself 
mobbed in short order. 

The space being now clear, Caesar slipped down 
from Nalla’s neck, and bidding the sagacious 
monster stand in front of the strange van in 
readiness to check any action on the part of its 
proprietor, he took hold of Steady’s bridle, and 
proceeded to put his v^n into its former position 
amidst the approving laughter of the crowd. 

Almost beside himself with rage the owner of 
the other van rushed at Caesar with fists clenched 
intending to pummel him. But before he could 
reach him Nalla’s long supple trunk swept his 
legs from under him, and sent him headlong, 
whilst the spectators roared with delight at his 
ignominious downfall. 

Like all bullies he was in reality a coward, and, 
it being very plain that everything was against 
him, he submitted to defeat with a very bad grace 
to be sure, but without any further attempt at 


116 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


reprisals. Procuring his own horses he hitched 
them to the van, and drew it away to another 
part of the town, vowing vengeance against the 
youngsters who had thus dared to expose and 
discomfit him. 

Nadine felt worried over the affair, but Caesar 
made light of it. 

“ We’ll see no more of that rascal,” he said, 
confidently. “He knows he’s killed himself in 
this place by his mean trick, and instead of 
doing us harm he has really done us good, for 
he has got the people interested in us, and they 
will be all the more likely to come to the perform- 
ance.” 

Caesar was right enough in this. As was the 
case when the mischievous students stampeded 
Nalla, an apparent misfortune turned out a bene- 
fit. The episode with the man of the black beard, 
and the brave way in which the young people had 
borne themselves, as also the wonderful intelli- 
gence shown by Nalla, proved an admirable ad- 
vertisement, and their first performance was 
anticipated with much interest. 

Relying upon a larger patronage than they 
were wont to have at their ordinary stopping- 
places, they thought it wise to hire half a hun- 
dred chairs, for which they would charge ten 


AT THE BEAULIEU FAIR. H7 

sous each, five sous being asked for a seat upon 
the planks, and standing room being free. 

Before the hour announced for opening the 
people had already begun to gather, and by seven 
o’clock every seat was occupied, and a goodly 
number were standing behind them. They were 
all in the best of humor, and prepared to enjoy 
themselves by heartily appreciating what the 
Tamby family had provided for them. 

This good fortune attended them throughout 
the whole week of the fair. Nadine’s sweet sing- 
ing, Caesar’s clever juggling, the amusing antics 
of Vigilant, and the remarkable intelligence 
displayed by Nalla and Steady maintained their 
interest for the populace to the end, and when 
on Saturday night, tired out but happy, they 
counted up their profits after the payment of all 
expenses, they found that they had no less than 
five hundred francs to the good. 

“Why, that is a small fortune, isn’t it, Na- 
dine?” exclaimed Caesar joyously. “That will 
help us over the winter finely, and we will doubt- 
less make more before the season ends, eh ? ” 

“I hope we will,” responded Nadine, her 
charming face radiant at the handsome result of 
their week’s work. “ We’ll need it all before 
spring, and we must be very careful how we 


118 THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 

spend what we have. It won’t do to be extrava- 
gant because it seems such a big sum of money 
to have at once. But what was that ?” she cried, 
her face suddenly growing grave. “Did you 
see anything, Caesar ? ” 

“ No,” replied Caesar, looking all about him. 
“ I saw nothing — what was it startled you ? ” 

“ I may be mistaken,” answered Nadine, speak- 
ing in a steadier tone, “ but I thought I saw a 
face peering in at the window just as I was put- 
ting the money away, and it frightened me a 
little. It would be dreadful if any one tried to 
rob us of our money, wouldn’t it ? ” 


CHAPTER XII. 


THE RASCAL’S REVENGE. 

Cesar’s laughing face grew serious at what 
Nadine said. 

u That is so, Nadine,” he responded. “ I hadn’t 
thought of it before. Doubtless it is well known 
that our performances have been very successful, 
and that we have taken in a good deal of money, 
and it may be that some of the other mounte- 
banks who have been less fortunate would like 
very well to rob us of the results of our hard 
work.” 

“Oh! CsBsar, you make me nervous!” cried 
Nadine with a pretty shiver. “ What can we do 
to protect ourselves ? ” 

“ Tut ! sister, I’m not in earnest,” rejoined 
Caesar smilingly. “There’s nothing to be afraid 
of. There are only honest people round about us. 
The next vans to ours are occupied by the per- 
formers of the Sito circus, and none of them 
would think of doing anything so mean. Never- 
theless, just to make your mind easy, I will keep 


120 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


guard to-night, and at the first sign of anything 
suspicious I will give the alarm.” 

“I’m very sorry that we’ve had to put Nalla 
away off there with the circus animals,” said 
Nadine in a tone of regret. “If he were only 
right beside our van we needn’t worry at all, for 
he’d take care that no bad character got too 
near us.” 

“Yes, indeed,” replied Caesar. “With Nalla 
on guard we could sleep as soundly as we pleased.” 

“Look here, Caesar,” exclaimed Nadine, her 
face brightened by a happy thought which had 
just come to her. “I know what we can do. As 
soon as we have had our supper the whole four 
of us can go down where Nalla is, and sleep there 
under his protection. What do you say to that ? ” 

“ A capital idea, sister,” answered Caesar. “ If 
we were quite sure that there is any real danger. 
But you see we are not, and if we leave our van 
and go down to the stables for the night the 
people might suspect us of some evil intentions. 
No — no — we will all stay here, and I will be 
sentinel while the rest of you sleep comfortably.” 

Considering all the hard work and the excite- 
ment that Caesar had been having it was certainly 
very unselfish on his part — especially as he really 
felt no anxiety — to undertake to keep awake all 


THE RASCAL'S REVENGE. 


121 


night, and Nadine, striving to throw off the de- 
pressing nervousness which had come upon her, 
declared that it really was not necessary, that she 
would put the bag of money under her pillow, 
where it could not be touched without awaking 
her, and that Caesar must go to bed like the rest, 
or she would sit up to keep him company. 

The result of it was that they succeeded in re- 
assuring one another so completely as to decide 
that no one should remain on guard, and in 
excellent spirits they sat down to their supper, for 
which they had all the best of appetites. 

It was a capital supper, too, as Nadine, the 
careful little housewife, felt justified by their 
extra earnings during the week in providing 
something better than their ordinary fare. So 
the table showed a plump roast chicken, a suc- 
culent salad, a large loaf of white bread with a 
fine brown crust, a generous pat of golden butter, 
and a steaming pot of fragrant coffee. 

The four young people ate and drank and 
talked with all their might. Everything was de- 
licious except the coffee, that had a strange taste 
to which Caesar was the first to call attention. 

“ Why, Nadine !” he exclaimed after swallow- 
ing half-a-cupful at one draught. “ What’s the 
matter with the coffee ? It tastes so queer.” 


122 THE family on wheels. 

Nadine had noticed it herself, but, supposing it 
was just some little mistake in the brewing, had 
said nothing, and gone on drinking it, while Abel 
and Lydia were too keen of appetite to be par- 
ticular. 

“ I’m sure I don’t know,” replied Nadine, being 
thus challenged, and feeling that her culinary 
reputation was at stake. “ I made it myself, and 
I didn’t notice anything different from other 
times. Perhaps there is too much chicory in it.” 

“That may be it,” returned Caesar. “Any- 
way I’m too thirsty to bother. I’ll just finish off 
my share.” 

No sooner was the meal finished than Lydia, 
who seemed particularly tired, sat down on the 
floor beside Nadine’s chair, and letting her head 
droop upon her little mother’s knee, fell fast 
asleep. 

“ Poor little pet,” murmured Nadine, fondling 
the golden curls. “ Just see, Caesar, how tired 
Lydia is ! The sand-man has taken her by sur- 
prise. Indeed my own head feels very heavy.” 

“ That’s because we’ve been working so hard, 
responded Caesar. “We’re just tired out, all of 
us. Why, look at Abel — he’s gone to sleep in his 
chair, and I don’t wonder at him, I feel completely 
played out myself.” 


THE RASCAL'S REVENGE. 


123 


“ I must hurry and undress the little ones and 
put them to bed,” said Nadine, giving a great 
yawn, and making an effort to open wide her 
heavy-lidded eyes. 

“Dear me! But how sleepy I feel. I can 
scarcely hold my head up.” 

“ No more can I,” drawled Caesar drowsily as 
he dropped into a chair where a moment later he 
was sound asleep, while Nadine, without accom- 
plishing what she had in mind, quickly followed 
his example, so that long ere midnight the whole 
four children were sunk in a profound slumber 
that could hardly have been due merely to natu- 
ral fatigue. 

It was a still dark night without a star showing 
in the heavens, and the camp of the mountebanks 
was as silent as a graveyard. Not a light shone 
in any of the other vans. Tired out by their 
week’s work the occupants slept as sound as logs. 

About one o’clock, two dark forms glided as 
noiselessly as shadows towards the Tamby van, 
and on getting close to it, halted to listen intently 
for a moment. 

“Are you sure of your work, Fritsch?” whis- 
pered one in a deep voice to the other. 

“ Perfectly sure, Wilhelm,” was the cautiously 
spoken reply. “I gave them a dose that would 


124 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


keep them asleep until nine o’clock anyway, and 
by that time I will have such a long start that 
they will never overtake me.” 

It was, in fact, the man who had put his van 
in the place the Tambys had first taken, and who, 
on being compelled to get out again, had deter- 
mined to be revenged. Aided by his partner, he 
was now about to carry out his nefarious design, 
having succeeded in drugging the coffee they had 
drunk at their supper, so that they were almost 
insensible, and perfectly helpless. 

“ Very well, then,” said Wilhelm, “let us go 
ahead, and you understand that we will meet 
you in the forest of Treffiieu three days hence.” 

Fritsch glanced anxiously about in every direc- 
tion, and bent his ear to listen for the slightest 
sound. 

“You hear nothing, eh ?” he whispered to his 
accomplice. 

“ No — nothing. The coast is clear, hurry up ! ” 
responded the other. 

Moving stealthily Fritsch ascended the steps of 
the van, and, finding the door unfastened, for 
sleep had come upon the occupants too suddenly 
for them to shut and bolt it as was their custom, 
he slipped inside, making his way with utmost 
caution. The lamp still burned dimly, and by 


THE RASCAL'S REVENGE. 


125 


its light he could find at once that for which he 
had come. He was busy only for a moment, and 
then he reappeared at the door bearing in his 
arms a large bundle wrapped in a shawl. 

“ I have her all right,” said he in a hoarse 
whisper, his evil face lit up with a triumphant 
smile. 

“ Bravo!” muttered the other, and the next 
moment the two scoundrels disappeared in the 
darkness. 

They went together as far as the gaudy van, 
into which one of them entered, while the other, 
carrying his burden, walked rapidly away out 
into the country over the silent deserted roads. 

The day dawned, and at an early hour the 
occupants of the other vans began to bestir them- 
selves. The fair was over. There were no more 
performances to be given. They were free to do 
as they pleased. Each party had its own plans. 
This one would hurry off to another place, and 
continue the campaign. That one would take a 
few days’ rest in some quiet spot. One was going 
north, and another south. But they were all 
going somewhere. It was no use staying any 
longer at Beaulieu, nor coming back there again 
until next year. 

In the midst of all this bustle, however, there 


126 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


was no sign of life about the Tamby van. Al- 
though it was after eight o’clock they still slept 
on when they were wont to be up and about at 
six. 

Meanwhile, Nalla over at the stables was call- 
ing for his young owners with persistent and ear- 
splitting trumpetings. The sagacious creature 
knew very well that this tardiness was something 
altogether out of the usual, and he proclaimed 
his anxiety to the world. He was saying as 
plainly as he could : 

“ There must be something wrong. Won’t 
somebody find out what it is? I never knew 
Caesar and Abel to be so late giving me my break- 
fast.” 

“ Why — what can be the matter with that big 
brute ? ” the other mountebanks asked impa- 
tiently. “ He’s making such a tremendous row ! ” 
But none of them were wise enough to catch his 
meaning, and institute inquiry. 

Finally, about nine o’clock, Caesar awoke, feeling 
very stupid, and having a dull headache. He 
rubbed his eyes, yawned widely, and looked about 
him. There were Nadine and Abel, still sound 
asleep beside the table with their heads pillowed 
upon their arms. Evidently no one had gone to 
bed. But where was Lydia ? 


CHAPTER XIII. 


THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW. 

The absence of his sister did not at first alarm 
Caesar, because he took it for granted she had 
awakened earlier than the rest, and had gone 
outside to get the fresh air. So he rose from his 
seat, stretched himself, yawned once more might- 
ily, and went out quietly, thinking that he would 
look for Lydia before arousing Nadine. 

To his surprise he found the square almost 
deserted, and no sign of Lydia. This made him 
uneasy, and, re-entering the van, he shook Nadine 
gently, calling out : 

“ Nadine ! Nadine ! Wake up, it’s after nine 
o’clock ! ” 

Nadine opened her eyes slowly and painfully. 

“ Nine o’clock,” she repeated after him in a 
dreamy fashion. 

“ Yes, nine o’clock !” reiterated Caesar, “ and 
how was it that none of us went to bed ? ” 

At this Nadine sprang to her feet, thoroughly 
awake. 


127 


128 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


44 Why, neither we did ! How extraordinary! 
We were so tired out that we just fell asleep in 
our chairs. You wake up Abel while I go and 
see where Lydia is.” 

44 Do you hear Nalla calling?” Caesar asked. 
44 The poor fellow must think we’re all dead. 
We never left him so late without attention 
before.” 

44 Indeed, I do hear him,” responded Nadine, 
a bewildered look on her face. 44 It is certainly 
very strange. I cannot understand it at all.” 

She had been moving about while she was 
speaking, putting things to rights with deft 
feminine skill, when suddenly she stopped, the 
color left her face, her eyes started from their 
sockets, she staggered as though she would fall, 
but steadied herself against the table as she 
shrieked : 

44 Caesar! Caesar ! We have been robbed !” 

44 Robbed!” Caesar echoed, darting forward to 
her side. 4 4 What do you mean ? ” 

44 Why, our money, it is all gone!” wailed 
Nadine. 44 You know I put it all back into the 
bag after we had counted it, and was going to 
hide it in my bed when Lydia fell asleep beside 
me, and a few minutes after I went to sleep too. 
I must have left it upon the table, and some 


THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW. 129 

wicked thief has crept in and stolen it. Oh dear ! 
oh dear ! what shall we do ? All our money 
stolen ! ” and throwing herself down upon the 
table she sobbed as though her heart would break. 

Caesar, although he was appalled himself at 
this cruel misfortune, did his best to comfort her, 
and he and Abel almost turned the interior of the 
van upside down in a vain endeavor to find the 
missing bag. 

“ I’m afraid it has been stolen,” he confessed 
at last. “ There’s not a trace of it, Come, 
Nadine, let us be brave. We may get it all back 
again. Do you hunt up Lydia, while I go and 
find one of the gendarmes and tell him what has 
happened to us.” 

In the extremity of her grief at the loss of the 
money, Nadine had for the time forgotten her 
little sister, but the moment Caesar reminded her 
of Lydia she sprang to her feet, dashed away her 
tears with her hands, and choking back her sobs, 
ran out into the square, crying : 

“ Lydia ! Lydia ! where are you ? ” 

But no response came in Lydia’s sweet voice, 
for at that moment the poor child was far away, 
hidden in a thick wood, and watched over by a 
wretch who threatened to kill her if she made the 
least outcry, so that she dared not utter a sound, 
9 


130 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


although there was no stopping the tears that 
poured down her cheeks. The scoundrels had 
stolen both the money and the child, the beauty 
and grace of the latter being so marked that they 
coveted her for their own business, knowing well 
how strong an attraction she would be . 

At this moment M. Sito, manager of the circus 
with whose animals Nalla and Steady had been 
stabled, happened along, and seeing that the 
children were in some grievous trouble, kindly 
inquired what was the matter, and if he could 
be of any assistance. 

When Nadine apprised him of Lydia’s mysteri- 
ous disappearance he knitted his brows, and 
thought deeply for a moment. He had noted 
the pretty child, and had himself entertained the 
thought that she might easily be trained to be a 
great success in the circus, and knowing only too 
well how many evil characters there had been in 
the town during the fair, his quick intelligence 
carried him to the right conclusion. 

But he would not let his suspicions be known 
to Nadine until they were confirmed. Adopting, 
therefore, an air of cheerful confidence, he said, 
patting Nadine encouragingly : 

“ Don’t worry. Lydia is not far off. She has 
perhaps gone for a stroll through the streets and 


THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW. 131 

has lost her way. We will go and look for her, 
eh?” 

Just then Caesar returned accompanied by two 
gendarmes to whom Nadine at once addressed 
herself, explaining her great trouble as best she 
could in spite of the sobs that choked her 
utterance. 

The brigadier, a tall handsome man, who had 
not, however, a good expression, twirled his 
superb mustache with a grand air as he said in a 
patronizing tone : 

“ Is it all true what you have been telling me ? 
I give you warning that we gendarmes are not to 
be trifled with. It will go hard with you if you 
are making a great deal out of nothing. You 
assert that some one has taken away your little 
sister, and robbed you of all your money ? ” 

“ It is unhappily only too true,” responded 
Nadine with a fresh burst of tears. “ Won’t you 
help us recover them ? Oh ! It is dreadful ! ” 

“ Wait now, my girl,” said the brigadier, look- 
ing very important. “ Don’t be so impatient. 
You must first answer me some questions. And, 
mind you, answer them correctly. You need not 
try to deceive the authorities.” 

Nadine dried her tears, checked her sobs, and 
faced the man with a frank, fearless countenance. 


132 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS . 


There was no reason why she should conceal 
anything. She was ready to answer any proper 
question. 

“ First of all,” began the brigadier. “ Where 
are your parents ? ” 

“ Alas ! we are orphans,” was the reply given 
in a low tone. 

“ That is not what I asked you,” retorted the 
officer sharply. “ Where are your parents ? ” 

“ We have no parents,” responded Nadine, the 
tears returning to her eyes. “ We are orphans, 
as I told you.” 

“ Durien,” said the brigadier to the other gen- 
darme, who had produced a note-book, ‘ 4 write 
that down — orphans.” 

“ It is put down, brigadier.” 

“ And how do you support yourselves?” was 
the next question. 

“ We are mountebanks,” answered Nadine, 
“and we give performances with the assistance 
of our animals.” 

“ With the assistance of your animals, you say ! 
Then you have animals also. What are they, 
and where are they ? ” 

Just then Caesar came from the stables leading 
Nalla and Steady, and followed by Vigilant, who 
had as usual slept beside Nalla. 


THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW. 


133 


“ There they are,” replied Nadine, pointing to 
the approaching trio. 

The brigadier regarded them with surprise. 

“ Why, that is a costly animal for orphans to 
own ! ” he exclaimed. “ How do you manage to 
provide for his keep ? ” 

“ With what we earn, sir,” answered Nadine. 
“ He is our best breadwinner too.” 

“ Hum! hum! with what you earn,” sneered 
the brigadier, “and with what you steal also, of 
course.” 

Nadine paled at the cruel words, and shrunk 
back from the speaker as though he had struck 
her. She was so hurt that she could not find 
words in which to reply. 

But Caesar, thrilled with indignation at the 
unmerited slur upon their character, spoke up 
bravely : 

“Mr. Gendarme,” he said, “we are honest 
folk, I would have you know, and you have no 
right to insult us like that, and to add to my 
sister’s trouble when she has so much to bear 
already.” 

The brigadier grew angry at once because a 
mere boy had the audacity to speak so to one of 
such importance as himself. 

“ Hold your tongue, you brat !” he shouted. 


134 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS . 


“ How dare you speak to me. You are showing 
disrespect to the law.” 

“ Mr. Gendarme,” responded Caesar in a sub- 
missive tone, and bowing humbly before the 
great man. “I beg your pardon. I had no 
intention of being insolent, I assure you. I do 
beg your pardon, sir. ” 

The brigadier became more gracious. Caesar’s 
politic apology appeased his wrath. 

“ ’Tis well, youngster,” he growled, as he gave 
his big mustache a ferocious twist. “In view 
of your age, and of the humble apology you 
have made, I pardon you, but don’t presume to 
speak until you are asked. Now, Durien,” he 
called to the other gendarme, “we will make a 
search of the vans there,” pointing out those 
belonging to the other mountebanks which still 
remained. 

But their search had no result, and the brigadier 
then announced that Nadine, Caesar, and Abel 
must accompany him to the town-hall, where the 
sous-prefet would examine them before giving 
orders for a more thorough search about the 
neighborhood. 

This announcement distressed Nadine greatly. 

“ Oh, sir ! ” she pleaded, “ don’t do that ! Leave 
us free to look for Lydia without losing another 


THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW. 135 

minute, or it will soon be too late. If she has 
been carried off by evil men they are getting far- 
ther away all the time, and we shan’t be able to 
overtake them. Oh, please let us alone, so that we 
may do our best to find her ! ” 

But the brigadier was obdurate. Having once 
made known what in his great wisdom he thought 
the proper course to pursue, he was not to be 
turned aside from it by a mere chit of a girl. 

So, drawing himself up to his full height, and 
twirling his mustache in what he no doubt con- 
sidered a very stylish fashion, he said : 

“ I have no power to continue the search any 
further at present. I must receive instructions 
from the sous-prefet, and before these can be 
given it is necessary that you should make a 
deposition.” 

Poor Nadine got bewildered. She was not 
familiar with the words used by the gendarme, 
and did not understand what that implied. If he 
had said, “You must deposit some money,” she 
would have understood it at once, but “you must 
make a deposition ” — what could that be ? 

Just then she remembered the envelope that 
kind Madame Pradere had given her with the 
injunction that she was not to open it until some 
time when she was in great difficulties. Surely 


136 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


that time had come. She could hardly be in a 
more trying situation than she was with her 
darling sister vanished, her money stolen, and this 
heartless gendarme insisting that she must go 
before the authorities, and make a deposition : 

Slipping her hand into her bosom she drew out 
the precious envelope. It had not been stolen 
because she never parted with it. 

“See, Caesar, ” she said softly to her brother. 
“This is what good Madame Pradere gave me 
when I bade her ‘ Good-bye.’ She said I wasn’t to 
open it until I was in great trouble. Hadn’t I 
better open it now ? ” 

4 ‘ Certainly, ” responded Caesar. 4 ‘ This is indeed 
the time. I wonder what it can contain ? ” 

His curiosity was soon changed to amazement, 
and then to joy, for when Nadine broke the seal, 
and opened the envelope, there were two bank- 
notes of a hundred francs each ! 

“Whew!” he exclaimed. “Isn’t that fine? 
Why, that’s a lot of money. Nearly one-half of 
what we have lost.” 

Nadine’s sad face brightened at the sight of the 
bank-notes. They might get them out of all their 
difficulties, and help them to find Lydia. Hold- 
ing them in her hands she said to the gendarme : 

“ Now, sir, what will there be to pay ?” 


THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW . I37 

But the rude fellow gave a significant wink at 
his companion as he said : 

“Ah! ha! young lady, a moment ago you 
were pretending that you had been robbed of all 
your money, and now you bring out bank-notes 
for a large amount with which to try and bribe 
the gendarmes ! You have been trying to de- 
ceive us. Very well — we shall see. You must at 
once tell us where you got that money.” 

“This money,” faltered Nadine, not yet re- 
covered from her surprise and joy at its discovery. 
“ was given me by a very kind-hearted lady who 
told me I was not to use it until I was in great 
trouble.” 

“Oh! yes, of course,” sneered the insolent 
creature. “We know lots of kind-hearted ladies 
who are in the way of giving one hundred franc 
notes to strolling performers, don’t we ? We 
shall have to clear all this up. I shall take charge 
of that money in order to restore it to the proper 
owner. And now, without wasting any more 
words, do you put your things in order right 
away, and come with me to the sous-prefet right 
away, where, without being impertinent, you 
shall explain to the authorities the meaning of all 
this. Get to work now. No more excuses. I 
have taken too much time with you already. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. 

Neither tears nor entreaties had any effect 
upon the brigadier, and a little later the van of 
the Tamby family, with a gendarme at either 
side, was on its way to the court-house. 

Nalla, his trunk hanging down despondently, 
and giving vent to groanings that strongly re- 
sembled sobs, followed in the rear, apparently 
understanding and sharing in the overwhelming 
trouble of his young owners. 

The sous-prefet was a stern old man, having 
a high sense of his own importance, and of the 
dignity of the law which he represented. 

He listened gravely to the report of the 
brigadier, who added many embellishments to 
the actual facts in making it, and, deciding that 
the case was one which would require careful 
investigation, directed that the children should 
be kept in confinement until he was at leisure 

to give their matter due attention. 

138 


BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. 139 

And so behold the three of them without hav- 
ing done the slightest harm, but on the contrary 
been the victims of the cruelest wrong, put in 
prison just as if they were malefactors ! 

Poor old Nalla, sorely perplexed at the whole 
proceeding, followed them to the prison, and 
would have liked to enter with them. But as 
that, of course, was not possible, he took up his 
station beside the door, swaying his trunk and 
groaning in a piteous fashion. 

Thus it came about, through the irony of fate, 
that the money which the well-meaning Madame 
Pradere had, in the goodness of her heart, given 
the Tamby children to be a help to them at some 
critical time, had only served to add to their 
trouble. Because of its possession they were im- 
prisoned as thieves. 

The brigadier, on finding such an amount as 
two hundred francs in the hands of Nadine after 
the girl had complained to him of having been 
robbed of all her money, suspected that there 
was something wrong. Her explanation that it 
was a gift from a charitable lady seemed to him 
very fishy, to say the least. 

“ These young vagabonds, ” he reasoned, “ have 
stolen that money, and we shall presently find 
out the truth about it. When the sous-prefet 


140 THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 

examines them they will be made to tell every- 
thing.” 

It is needless to say that that was a dreadful 
night for the poor young Tambys. They spent 
it in weeping and lamenting their cruel fate, 
which they could not understand that they had 
in any way deserved, although Nadine, the dear 
innocent, seemed to think that she was in some 
way to blame. 

“ Didn’t I promise,” she wailed, “ when our 
father died, that, being the eldest, I would take 
such care of you, and yet I have allowed Lydia, 
our little one, who has so much need of a mother, 
to be carried off, the good God only knows 
where ! ” 

“ Don’t blame yourself, Nadine,” said Caesar 
soothingly, putting his arm affectionately around 
her. “ We shall find her again, never fear. If 
it costs my life I shall get her back again.” 

He was a sturdy high-spirited chap, Caesar, 
and although younger than Nadine, now that 
she was so overcome with grief, he took upon 
himself the part of comforter and champion. 

But poor little Abel buried his head in her lap, 
sobbing piteously, and murmuring “ Lydia — 
Lydia — where is my sister, Lydia ? ” 

It was not until ten o’clock in the morning that 


BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. 144 

the key grated in the lock of the massive door, 
which on opening disclosed the portly figure of 
the brigadier. 

“ Now, then,” he said in his deep rough voice, 
“come along with me. The sous-prefet has 
arrived, and is awaiting you, and he will attend 
to your affair. I give you warning beforehand 
that it will be useless for you to attempt to 
deceive him. The sous-prefet is a very clever 
man, and has no pity for tramps who boldly tell 
lies.” 

These cruel words stung Nadine and Caesar so 
that they found it hard to keep back a retort, 
but they looked at each other in a significant 
way, and in silence followed the bullying briga- 
dier. 

Patiently awaiting them at the door of the 
prison were Vigilant and Nalla. The former, as 
soon as he perceived his young owners, set up 
a joyous barking and gamboling about them, 
showing his affection and delight. Nalla, on his 
part, waved his trunk up and down, and in- 
dulged in funny rumblings which were expres- 
sive of his gladness at seeing them again. 

“ Stay there ! ” commanded the brigadier 
sternly, but the elephant took no notice of him, 
and ambled along behind the children. 


142 THE family on wheels. 

It was Sunday morning, and the streets of the 
town of Beaulieu were full of people, many of 
them being farming folk from the neighborhood, 
who had come in to attend church, and through 
the midst of this curious crowd the unfortunate 
Tam by children, their faces crimsoned with 
shame, were compelled to pass in charge of two 
gendarmes, just as if they were criminals. 

When they reached the entrance of the court- 
house, Nadine turned to Nalla, and, patting his 
trunk tenderly, said : 

“Dear old friend, you must be very wise now, 
very wise indeed, lest some fresh trouble come 
upon us.” 

And while Nalla responded with his queer 
grunting, Nadine saw that he too had his anx- 
ieties. He turned his huge head from right to 
left, looking at the children with his bright little 
eyes in an inquiring way. The fact of the matter 
was that the old fellow was seeking for his little 
pet, Lydia. He could not understand her absence 
from the group, and he wanted the others to ex- 
plain it to him. But that was just what they 
could not do. 

The sous-prefet at Beaulieu was a retired army 
officer, who had brought with him from the 
service a very stern and imperious manner. He 


BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. 143 

had a white mustache and beard, and bushy 
white eyebrows, which gave him such a cross 
look, one could not expect to receive much 
courtesy or consideration at his hands. 

He was busy at a desk littered with papers 
when the brigadier brought the Tambys before 
him. At first sight of him the children were 
filled with fear, his whole appearance was so 
severe. 

“Your Honor,” said the brigadier, “I bring 
the prisoners before you.” 

“ Very well, wait there ! ” was the sharp re- 
ply, given without looking up from the paper, at 
which he continued to write. 

“Wait here ! ” the brigadier repeated to the 
children, who certainly had no thought of stirring, 
however glad they would have been to do so. 

For several minutes there was no sound save 
the scratching of the magistrate’s pen as he wrote 
busily without taking any notice whatever of the 
Tambys. 

After a little he began to question the brig- 
adier, and to put down his answers in writing. 
The brigadier told his story at length, and with 
many big words, being evidently anxious to make 
as much of it as possible. 

When he had at last finished, the magistrate 


144 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


turned his fierce eyes upon the children, and 
scrutinized them sharply : 

“ But where are their parents ?” he demanded 
sternly. 

“The little vagabonds insist upon it that they 
have none,” replied the gendarme. 

“ That they have none ! ” exclaimed the magis- 
trate. “ Are they traveling about alone ? ” 

“ The young rascals pretend that they have lost 
their father and mother,” continued the briga- 
dier. 

The magistrate gave the children a piercing 
glance. He evidently was not disposed to credit 
their ability to take care of themselves. 

“Come here, young girl!” he commanded 
Nadine, and when she had stepped up to his desk 
he went on : “ And so you declare that somebody 
has taken away your sister at the Beaulieu fair ? ” 

“Yes, sir,” Nadine replied. 

“And what is your sister’s age ?” he inquired. 

“ She is six years old, sir.” 

“ Could it not be on account of your unkind 
treatment of her that your sister ran away ? ” 
was the next query. 

Poor Nadine flushed to the roots of her hair, 
and her eye flashed indignantly at this con- 
temptible insinuation from the magistrate. 


BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE . 145 

“Unkind treatment!” she cried, her voice 
quivering with anger. “ I never treated Lydia 
unkindly, as any one who knows about us can 
tell you. I have always done my best to be as 
tender with her as our dear mother would have 
been. I can assure you, sir, that Lydia is as fond 
of us as we are of her. We all four love each 
other dearly, and we are very happy together, 
and the idea of her leaving us of her own accord 
is absurd. She must have been taken away by 
some evil person — and only the good God knows 
what they will do with her.” Here her indigna- 
tion changed to grief, and covering her face 
with her hands, she burst into tears. 

The stern old magistrate, instead of being con- 
vinced by the manifest sincerity and truthfulness 
of the young girl, shook his head, as though to 
say : 

“That’s all very fine, but I don’t put much 
faith in it,” and after a pause put another ques- 
tion. 

“ Was not your sister of a very headstrong 
nature ? ” 

“Indeed she was not,” sobbed Nadine, “she 
was always most affectionate and gentle, and 
perfectly obedient.” 

“We will see about that,” grunted the magis- 


146 the family on wheels. 

trate, looking rather dissatisfied at the result of 
his examination thus far. 

He was silent for a time while he fiddled with 
the papers on his desk, and then he recommenced 
his questions. 

“You pretend also that you have been robbed 
of all the money you possessed while you were 
asleep, and you add that that sleep was not 
natural, but was caused by being drugged ? Is 
that the case ? ” 

“That is what I have told, sir, and it is the 
very truth,” answered Nadine firmly, for she had 
now recovered herself. 

“A pretty story, truly,” retorted the magis- 
trate, harshly, “ and one that speaks volumes for 
your imagination. But there is another part of 
your story which is even more preposterous. 
You assert that a kind-hearted lady gave you two 
hundred francs about a month ago ? ” 

“I swear to you that this is true ! ” exclaimed 
Nadine. “When Madame Pradere gave me the 
envelope I did not know what was in it, because 
she impressed upon me that I must not open it 
until I was in very great trouble. So I kept it 
carefully, and did not open it, as we were doing 
very well with our performances, and had no 
trouble until this came to us. Then I thought of 


BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. 

what she had told me, and opened the envelope 
when the gendarmes were present.” 

“ Young girl,” said the magistrate solemnly, 
“ in your interest I enjoin you to make a full con- 
fession of the real truth without any longer 
attempting to mislead the law. Take my word 
for it, you must not try to speak falsely as to 
things which sooner or later must he found out, 
if you would hope for the consideration of the 
authorities before whom you are brought. So 
now, my child, think well, and be perfectly frank 
with me. This is no doubt only a temporary 
giving away to wrong. You were strongly 
tempted, and you succumbed to the temptation 
by taking money which was not your own. Tell 
me all, my child. Where did you get that 
money ? ” 


CHAPTER XV. 


NALLA OBTAINS ASSISTANCE. 

Poor unhappy Nadine could stand it no longer ! 
The persistent incredulity of the magistrate cut 
her to the heart. It was bad enough to have lost 
her darling sister, and all her money, but in ad- 
dition to that to be treated like a criminal instead 
of finding sympathy and assistance, truly it was 
more than flesh and blood could bear. She sank 
fainting to the floor in front of the judge’s desk. 

Up to this point Caesar, awed by the stern man- 
ner of the judge, and, trusting to the superior 
intelligence and experience of his older sister, had 
been a silent although deeply moved spectator of 
the scene. But when Nadine collapsed, he sprang 
forward, and spoke out in clear brave tones. 

“ Mr. Magistrate, it is no use your torturing 
my sister like that. You cannot by so doing 
compel her to lie. She never deceived anybody 
in her life. What she has told you, sir, is per- 
fectly true, every word of it. The money that 
you accuse her of stealing was given her by 


NALLA OBTAINS ASSISTANCE. 149 

Madame Pradere, the lady of the Mayor of the 
town of Morainville. ” 

“ Madame Pradere ! ” exclaimed the magis- 
trate, jumping up from his chair. “ Did you say 
Madame Pradere ? ” 

“Yes, sir,” responded Caesar. “ Madame Pra- 
dere who lives in a fine mansion at Morainville.” 

“ Pradere ! Pradere ! ” repeated the magistrate. 
“I know him, he was lieutenant in the regiment 
when I retired. We were very good friends, 
Pradere and I, and we soon shall find out if you 
are speaking the truth. I shall write immediately 
to Morainville and institute inquiries into your 
affair.” 

“ Then we are saved ! ” cried Caesar, throwing 
out his arms in a gesture of relief and joy. 

This exclamation was uttered in a tone of such 
manifest sincerity that the magistrate, who was 
not really as hard-hearted as he seemed, and who 
had been severe towards the Tambys because 
it is the custom in French courts to assume 
that every person brought them is a criminal, 
and to compel them to clear themselves, instead 
of considering them innocent until they were 
proven guilty, was profoundly impressed. He 
began to fear that he had been guilty of injustice 
and undue harshness. 


150 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ After all,” he reflected somewhat uneasily, 
“the story told by these children is very touch- 
ing, and why may it not he true ? I know that 
as a rule these mountebanks are not by any 
means good characters, but perhaps these orphans 
are an exception. I must deal more gently with 
them.” So, with a much less severe expression, 
and softer tone, he said to them, Nadine by this 
time having recovered her self-possession : 

“ My children, to-morrow we shall clear up your 
affairs. I shall write to Morainville requesting 
an immediate answer, and, if you have told the 
truth, you shall be free. But I am obliged to re- 
commit you to prison until to-morrow. I shall 
see, however, that you are well cared for.” 

“ Oh, sir, it doesn’t matter so much about us,” 
spoke up Nadine. “We can manage to do with- 
out food for a day. We have already done so 
before, but our animals ” 

“ Ah ! yes, to be sure,” responded the magis- 
trate. “You have a horse, which has been put 
in a stable. You need not worry about him. He 
will get all he needs.” 

“ButNalla — what about him ?” persisted Na- 
dine, seeming much concerned. 

“ Nalla ! ” exclaimed the magistrate rather 
testily, for he was anxious to be through with 


NALLA OBTAINS ASSISTANCE. 151 

the children for the present. “ Who is it that 
you call Nalla ? ” 

“Nalla,” interposed the brigadier, “is a very 
big and dangerous beast, an elephant, which has 
insisted upon following us, and which at this 
moment is out there before your door.” 

The magistrate went to the window and drew 
aside the curtains. There was Nalla, silent and 
motionless, surrounded by a curious crowd that 
took care not to come too near him. 

“Oh ! ho!” he exclaimed. “What a huge 
creature ? Is he indeed dangerous ? ” 

“He?” replied Nadine, smiling at the idea. 
“ He dangerous ? Not a bit of it ! He is as kind 
as possible, and I will guarantee that he does 
nobody any harm. But as he will not consent to 
part from us, won’t you please permit him to 
remain at the prison gate until we come out 
again ? ” 

“Very well, then, if you assure me that he will 
not do any mischief, I will consent to what you 
ask,” said the magistrate graciously, “ and to ease 
your minds, I may tell you that I will at once 
give orders that a thorough search of the neigh- 
borhood be made for any signs of your sister.” 

Nadine, her heart somewhat lightened by the 
promise, thanked the old man, and then the 


152 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


three children were escorted by the gendarmes to 
the prison. 

Here they were confined in a large cell, a bare, 
comfortless chamber that was all the more objec- 
tionable to them because of their being accus- 
tomed to such a free open-air life. The only 
source of cheer that they had was the promise of 
the sous-prefet to write to M. Pradere about 
them. But, presently, even this began to cause 
them uneasiness. 

“What if Madame Pradere should be away 
from home ? ” said Nadine with a sigh of appre- 
hension. 

“ Oh, don’t you remember that the kind old 
gendarme said that she hardly ever went away ? ” 
responded Caesar, cheeringly. 

“ My dear brother,” returned Nadine, “you 
are doing your best to keep up my spirits, but you 
see I am not of so hopeful a nature as you are. 
It’s not my fault, Caesar, indeed it isn’t, but I am 
troubled with dark presentiments. I am weighed 
down with anxiety that I cannot overcome. It 
is no doubt due to what has happened during the 
last two days, for I am greatly upset by it.” 

Abel joined with Caesar in well-meant efforts 
at consolation, and, as during the night before, 
the children had had no sleep at all, they now 


NALLA OBTAINS ASSISTANCE. 153 

began to doze off, and presently all three of them 
were sound asleep. 

But poor Nadine’s rest was disturbed by unpleas- 
ant dreams, and about midnight she awoke with 
a shriek of terror. 

Caesar at once woke up and sought to find her 
hand in the darkness that enshrouded them. 

“ What is the matter, dear sister ?” he asked 
anxiously. “Are you in pain? Answer me, 
Nadine, I beg of you.” 

But Nadine made no reply, and when Caesar 
took her hand he found that it was cold as ice. 
The sorely-tried girl had in fact fallen into a 
deep swoon. 

Caesar was terrified. Nadine was silent and 
motionless. Could she be dead ? and there they 
were, shut up in the prison, without any way of 
getting assistance ! 

He set up a frantic shouting. He hammered 
on the massive door with all his might only to 
get back the dreary echoes of his blows. There 
was nobody near at that time to hear him. 
Everybody in Beaulieu was sound asleep. 

There was one creature, however, that was 
awake, and whose keen ears caught the cries 
Caesar uttered in his frantic concern. Nalla, 
keeping patient faithful watch beside the prison- 


154 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


gate, heard his young master, and realizing that 
he was in trouble at once started trumpeting with 
all his might. 

The appalling sound soon wakened the whole 
neighborhood, and the startled folk appeared at 
the windows and doors of their houses, but not 
one of them ventured to approach the huge animal 
from which it was proceeding. 

On seeing that no one responded to his call 
Nalla tried to break down the gate of the prison 
in order to reach his young owners, and set them 
at liberty. But the gate was too strong. It 
successfully resisted his assault upon it. Then 
the wise old creature showed his remarkable 
intelligence. 

He turned from the gate to the railing and 
with one stroke of his mighty trunk laid low the 
light iron bars. The way being thus cleared he 
went out alone into the deserted streets of the 
town. 

Where now was he going with rapid step, and 
uplifted trunk as though ready to act in his own 
defense ? Certainly he did not need any one to 
show him the way. He evidently knew just 
what he was about. 

On he went, not in the least bothered by the 
darkness of the night, until he reached the house 


NALL A OBTAINS ASSISTANCE. 155 

to which he had accompanied the children that 
morning — that is to say, the residence of the 
magistrate. 

Then he came to a halt, and, without any con- 
cern for the peaceful slumbers of the honest 
townsfolk of that quarter, he proceeded to renew 
his vigorous trumpeting ! 

The magistrate woke up, and hurried to the 
window to see what was the matter. 

“ The elephant which was left shut up in the 
prison yard ! ” ^e exclaimed. “ How on earth did 
he get here ? He’ll arouse the whole town. Go 
away, you brute, and be quiet ! ” 

And he closed the window intending to return 
to bed. 

But Nalla had no thought of letting him alone. 
He repeated his sonorous appeal. 

Of course under the circumstances sleep was 
out of the question for the magistrate. More- 
over, the whole neighborhood was stirring, al- 
though it was not more than two o’clock of the 
morning. 

Although very angry at first, on second 
thoughts the old gentleman, so rudely disturbed, 
began to say to himself : 

“ After all there may be something amiss, or 
why has that big brute come here ? It can only 


156 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


be to seek me out, and obtain my assistance ? I 
must investigate at once. 5 " 

So with a certain amount of grumbling he 
dressed himself, and went down, opening the 
front door very carefully. 

As soon as Nalla saw him he ceased trumpeting, 
waved his trunk in joyful greeting, and, wheel- 
ing around, set off for the prison, the magistrate 
following meekly in his rear, and marveling at 
the sagacity displayed by this remarkable crea- 
ture. 

On their arrival they found the gendarmes 
gathered before the door, having been summoned 
by the startled neighbors. “Open the door im- 
mediately,” commanded the magistrate. 

The brigadier, who carried a lantern, unlocked 
the door, and led the way into the prison, while 
the other gendarmes remained outside, preserving 
a respectful distance from Nalla, who stood as 
close as possible to the door, listening intently for 
every sound. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

NADINE’S ILLNESS. 

On their entering the cell in which the Tambys 
were confined they found Nadine lying upon the 
floor, as pale and still as though she were dead. 

The magistrate was greatly alarmed. 

“ The poor child has died ! ” he exclaimed, tak- 
ing hold of her cold hand. “ Brigadier, send one 
of your men off for a doctor immediately,” and 
when the gendarme had hurried out he lifted 
Nadine’s hand tenderly. 

“ She’s not dead ! She is breathing ! ’’ cried the 
magistrate suddenly, in a tone of relief and joy. 
And he proceeded to stroke her blanched cheeks 
and forehead with his hands in a gentle way that 
seemed surprising in such a stern old man. 

Presently the doctor arrived all out of breath, 
for the brigadier had made him come as fast as 
possible. After a careful examination of Nadine 
he shook his head in a manner that was far from 
reassuring. 

“ Your Honor,” he said, “ the child must be at 
157 


158 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


once removed to the hospital. Her unconscious- 
ness may continue for some hours longer, and 
when she does revive it will be absolutely neces- 
sary that she should be guarded against the 
slightest excitement. I shall go to the hospital 
at once and arrange for her reception.” 

Half an hour later Nadine was lying in a bed 
in the hospital, and at her side were Cscsar and 
Abel, in accordance with the directions of the 
magistrate. 

“ It is best that the young girl should first see 
her brothers when she comes to herself,” said the 
thoughtful old man, and although the brigadier 
ventured to protest, he had of course to obey the 
orders of his superior. 

Not until morning did the doctor, who had not 
left Nadine for a moment, give his opinion as to 
the nature of her illness. 

“She undoubtedly has an attack of brain 
fever,” he said, looking very grave, “and will 
require great care. You must give her every 
attention,” he added, turning to the Sister of 
Charity, in whose charge Nadine would now 
be. 

The Sister’s heart was already full of sympathy 
for the sweet young girl, and she replied in her 
soft voice : 


NADINE'S ILLNESS. 159 

“Be assured, sir, she shall want for nothing. 
Everything possible will be done for her.” 

Despite the authority given by the magistrate, 
that Caesar and Abel should be permitted to 
remain near their sister, it must not be supposed 
that they were set at liberty. They were still 
kept under surveillance, although indeed there 
was small need for it. But the brigadier persisted 
in believing in those two hundred francs to have 
been stolen. 

During the long anxious days while Nadine’s 
life hung in the balance, poor Caesar did not con- 
cern himself as to whether there had been any 
answer received from Morainville, until one 
morning the doctor announced that, barring fresh 
complications which he could not then foresee, 
Nadine would recover. 

The two boys fairly shouted for joy at this 
good news, and, his mind being thus relieved 
about his sister, Caesar was able to think of some- 
thing else. 

Naturally his first thought was about the 
Praderes, and he begged the brigadier, who came 
to the hospital every day to make sure that his 
youthful prisoners had not escaped, to take him 
to the magistrate in order to find out what 
answer had been received. 


160 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


The brigadier at first evaded the request, by- 
pretending not to hear what Caesar said. But 
the boy reiterated his request, and the brigadier 
had to reply. 

“I must tell you, then,” he said, “that your 
Madame Pradere has made no reply, and this goes 
to confirm my suspicions.” 

“What!” cried Caesar, incredulously. “No 
reply ? You say that Madame Pradere has not 
answered ! But that is impossible ! She knows 
perfectly well that we didn’t steal the money.” 

And, refusing to credit it, he was so importu- 
nate that at last for very peace’ sake the brigadier 
took him to the magistrate. 

“Is it true, sir!” he asked, with anxious, 
apprehensive face and tone, “that Madame Pra- 
dere has not answered the letter you wrote to her 
more than a month ago ? ” 

“ Yes, my boy, it is true,” responded the mag- 
istrate kindly. “ But just to-day came the expla- 
nation of her silence. She has suffered a great 
calamity. On the very day the gendarmes put 
you in prison at Beaulieu, Monsieur Pradere was 
killed by a fiery horse that he was training.” 

“ M. Pradere killed ! ” murmured Caesar sadly. 
“Oh ! how sorry I am, and Nadine will be so 
sorry too. They were such good friends to us ! ” 


NADINE'S ILLNESS. 


161 


“You can easily understand,” continued the 
magistrate, “that under such circumstances the 
poor lady would not he giving attention to her 
correspondence. But here now is the brief com- 
munication that she has made to me : 

“ Dear Sir : 

It is quite true that I gave the 
Tamby children the envelope containing the two 
hundred francs. They are thoroughly honest and 
very intelligent children, and I commend them to 
your kind consideration. V. Pradere.” 

“Surely now we are free!” cried Caesar so 
soon as the magistrate had finished reading the 
note. 

“Yes, my child, you are free,” was the kindly 
response. “But it will be necessary for you to 
remain here for some time yet, because your sis- 
ter is not even convalescent, and her recovery 
may take a long time.” 

“ That is so, sir,” Caesar returned. “ But Abel 
and I will try to get work in the neighborhood 
so that we may provide for ourselves and our 
animals, and not be beholden to any one.” 

“You are a brave manly boy ! ” said the magis- 
trate, clapping him upon the shoulders, “and I 
will interest myself in obtaining employment for 
you. I will guarantee your good character.” 


162 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Thus matters went on until the middle of 
November. By that time, although she had not 
by any means regained her full strength, Nadine 
was so determined to have her own way that the 
doctor, having given her a thousand injunctions 
to be very careful of herself, permitted her to 
return to the van. 

The three Tambys were then very happy at 
being reunited, and in cherishing the hope that 
ere long they would have their sister restored to 
them. 

Alas, the poor young things had not yet drunk 
to the dregs the bitter cup of trial that had been 
thrust upon them, for now Nalla began to be a 
source of anxiety. He spent much of the time 
lying down and refused to do his work. For long 
periods he would remain motionless, taking no 
interest in anything except the voices of passing 
children, at which sound he would suddenly raise 
his head, and would follow the children as far as 
he could with his small bright eyes, while he 
uttered groans like those he was wont to give 
forth when playing with little Lydia. 

Nadine and Caesar had no difficulty in deciding 
what was the matter with him. He was mourn- 
ing for his beloved little playmate who had so 
strangely disappeared. 


NADINE’S ILLNESS. 


163 


For days he would not take a bit of food — al- 
though he was usually a great eater — and this in 
itself was enough to give them keen concern. Yet 
nothing that they could do to comfort him had 
any effect. Evidently they must simply wait for 
his grief to wear away unless they could succeed 
in finding Lydia in the meantime. 

At every place they visited their first proceeding 
was to make inquiry as to whether any strolling 
performers had passed that way, and when they 
were answered in the affirmative they would ask 
if it was noticed whether they had with them a 
little girl six years of age and having brown hair 
and eyes. 

But nothing came of all their eager inquiries. 
Lydia seemed to have vanished utterly. 

Meanwhile the days went by, and the middle of 
December found them still searching vainly for 
their lost sister. The weather, which had hither- 
to been unusually mild, might at any time be- 
come cruelly cold. 

It was with serious concern that the poor chil- 
dren regarded the advent of the season which is so 
hard upon the poor, and among the poor there 
are surely none who feel it more than the wander- 
ing folk who live in vans. Not only have they to 
face the bitter cold as they travel from one place 


164 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


to another, but the van, which is their dwelling, 
while well enough on the fine warm days of sum- 
mer, is but a poor apology for a comfortable home 
when the winter winds blow fiercely. 

What is even still more serious for these wan- 
dering artists, their patrons naturally prefer re- 
maining snugly at their own firesides with their 
feet toasting at the ruddy flames to standing in 
the open air watching a performance while the 
cold is nipping them. 

The Tamby receipts were very scanty, and they 
suffered all the more on that account, because they 
had first to consider Steady and Nalla and make 
sure that they were well fed, even though Nalla’s 
appetite was not what it used to be. They had 
accordingly to buy a great deal of hay, and hay 
was expensive. Nadine had always endeavored 
so far as she was able to give the big creature the 
things he liked, and often he would caress her 
with his trunk in token of his appreciation of Aer 
attentions, but there were no more dainties for 
him now, nothing but the plainest of fare. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


IN A DESPERATE STRAIT. 

The Tambys were now in the department of 
Gironde, and on the twentieth of December, about 
eleven in the morning, they left Parentes in order 
to go to Mamezan, a town situated on the sea- 
side. They had to traverse about twenty miles of 
open moor and of pine woods without a single 
house on the whole route, and at that time of 
the year the night came on early. 

When they were starting, Nalla, who was lying 
down beside the van, seemed very reluctant to 
rise, and did so only in obedience to Nadine, who 
said : 

tf My friend, be brave. We must go on farther 
and farther until we have found Lydia. Then 
we shall be able to take a good long rest. Come 
now, get up, like a good fellow. We have to be 
off without delay.” 

And so with manifest reluctance the elephant 
slowly rose, and followed mopingly along in the 

rear of the van that Steady seemed to find in- 
165 


166 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


creasing difficulty in dragging over the hard 
roads. 

The little party made slow progress, and at the 
end of three hours had accomplished only one- 
half of the journey. 

Furthermore, a violent and icy wind blowing 
in from the sea raised the sand in a way that 
blinded poor old Steady, who toiled along pain- 
fully with his head bent as low as if he would 
fain bury it between his legs, and, finally, it was 
necessary to halt from time to time in order to 
let Nalla rest, for he seemed too feeble to walk at 
all fast. 

The sky became covered with dark heavy 
clouds, and the temperature suddenly went down, 
while the bitter wind continued to blow merci- 
lessly. Then the snow began to fall. 

The great stretch of sand was utterly deserted 
save for the solitary van with its occupants and 
Nalla, and in a few minutes the whole plain was 
as white as a tablecloth. The snow fell so 
thickly as to completely shut out the sky and 
all the world around. 

Caesar, anxious for the animals, managed to 
arrange the canvas curtain of their “ theater ” so 
that it covered Nalla’s head and the most of 
Steady’s body, and then the three children shut 


IN A DESPERATE STRAIT. 


167 


themselves up in the van with Vigilant to endure 
the misery of their situation as best they could. 

Poor old Steady kept up a dolorous whinnying 
and stamping of his hoofs as he strove to kick 
away the snow which banked about his feet, and 
chilled his legs, while Nalla poured forth pitiful 
plaints that sounded remarkably like sobs as he 
cowered beneath the canvas, which was all too 
small to afford him anything like adequate 
shelter. 

For more than an hour the storm raged, the 
snow falling so heavily that Steady was buried in 
it up to his knees, and the van up to the hubs of 
the wheels. 

After it ceased to fall the sky continued to be 
dark and lowering, and to give promise of further 
avalanches, and beneath the somber heavens the 
immense plain spread out as far as eye could 
reach, one vast expanse of blinding whiteness. 

Oh ! the white robe of cruel winter, which is in 
truth the mourning of Nature, and of the unfor- 
tunate creatures that have no snug shelter ! 
How saddening it is ! How it chills the heart ! 
It is so dreadful to think of poor wretches who 
have no warm hearth to sit beside, no roof to 
cover them, but must suffer the pangs that the 
merciless cold alone can inflict, and perhaps lie 


168 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


down to die with the unpitying snow as their 
winding-sheet ! 

The Tamby children, unfortunate though they 
certainly were, had at least the protection of their 
van, and might have been comfortable after a 
fashion had not their hearts been wrung with 
anxiety for their missing sister, who, for aught 
they knew, was exposed to the same storm, and for 
their faithful beasts cowering close to the van 
that afforded them but partial shelter from the 
cutting blast. 

“Poor Nalla and Steady ! ” said Caesar, as he 
closed the door, after being out to speak encour- 
agingly to them, and to pat their heads. “If 
they were only no bigger than Vigilant they 
could come into the van with us, and we would 
help to keep each other warm.” 

“It is indeed too bad they have to be out 
in all this storm,” murmured Nadine, her eyes 
filling with tears, “and I’m very much afraid it 
may make Nalla sick. He seems a good deal out 
of sorts already. Oh, Caesar, what would we do 
if he were to die ! We could never earn a living 
without him ! ” 

Caesar put his arm around his sister, and 
stroked her hair tenderly. 

“Of course we could, dearie,” he said with a 


IN A DESPERATE STRAIT. 169 

cheery confidence, much more emphatic than he 
really felt. “We would not of course do quite 
so well at first without the dear old fellow, who 
is now the chief attraction of our entertainment, 
but we would put something else in his place. 
You might learn some new songs, and I some 
new tricks, and Abel might do an act with Vigi- 
lant, and so on.” 

Nadine brightened up at his encouraging words. 

“ That’s the way to look at it,” she responded. 
“How brave you are, my brother ! ” Then with 
a sigh that seemed to rend her heart, “ But, oh ! — 
if we only had our little Lydia back ! ” 

The storm subsided. The snowflakes grew 
lighter and fewer, and the atmosphere clearer, 
but the Tambys realized with much concern that 
the light was waning as at the approach of night. 
It was only three o’clock in the afternoon, but on 
the twentieth of December darkness comes early. 
Yet they were still nearly ten miles from the 
town of Mamezan, which was their destination. 

“ Caesar,” exclaimed Nadine, rousing herself 
from the sad reverie into which she had relapsed, 
“we must start again at once, or we shall have 
to spend the night out in this desolate plain.” 

“We must, indeed,” answered Caesar with a 
brisk toss of the head, “ but it will be precious 


170 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


slow going. See, Nadine, how deep the snow is ! 
Steady is right up to his knees in it. I must get 
him cut.” 

So saying, he pulled away the canvas which had 
been covering the horse and elephant, and tak- 
ing the former by the bridle, called out in the same 
tone as if he were speaking to a human com- 
panion : 

“ Brace up, comrade ! It will he a hard job 
for you to drag the heavy van through this deep 
snow, but we must be off if we don’t want to 
spend the night without shelter. So come along, 
do your best, old chap ! ” 

Steady was quite willing to show that he did 
not lack good-will. He strained hard upon the 
collar, and by dint of a succession of vigorous 
efforts, succeeded in getting the van in motion. 

But after a few turns of the wheels it stopped 
again. The load was beyond his strength, and 
the poor creature in his noble efforts to start it, 
slipped upon the already hard frozen snow, and 
fell heavily, injuring his knees. 

Caesar and Nadine burst into despairing tears, 
in which little Abel joined. But it was only for 
a moment. 

“ This won’t do,” cried the brave-hearted boy, 
springing up and dashing away the tears as if 


IN A DESPERATE STRAIT. 171 

he were ashamed of them. “I know what I’ll 
try.” 

He remembered what he had seen his father do 
sometimes when the road had been too soft, or the 
hills too steep upon their route, and he at once 
proceeded to imitate it. 

He led Nalla out in front of the van, and 
attached him by ropes to the whippletree. Then, 
in as cheery a tone as he could manage, he called 
out : 

“ Now, then, Nalla, help your old comrade out 
of his difficulty. You see he cannot haul the 
van through this deep snow alone. You must 
give him the aid of your vast strength.” 

But alas ! Nalla seemed to have lost all his 
his strength and spirit. Instead of responding to 
such an appeal as the faithful, big-hearted crea- 
ture was wont to do, he collapsed upon the snow ! 

With this, all hope of the poor children being 
able to get away appeared to be at an end. There 
was no other alternative than to spend the night 
on that appalling waste of snow. 

Of course they would be fairly well sheltered 
from the cold in their van, and, as they fortunately 
had a little fuel still left, they could keep up a 
small fire in the tiny cooking-stove. 

But how about the elephant and the horse? 


172 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


What was to become of them ? Something must 
be done on their behalf. So Caesar, Nadine and 
Abel went to work to clear away the snow from 
around the van, in order to make some sort of a 
resting-place for the two animals. 

It was hard work, although they went at it 
with all their strength, and by the time it was 
finished night was drawing near. 

“ Here now, Nalla,” said Caesar. “Get up, old 
fellow, from that cold place, and come over to 
where we have cleared all the snow away. You 
will find it much more comfortable.” 

The big creature, after several vain efforts, 
succeeded in getting to his feet again, and fol- 
lowed Caesar to the spot indicated, where he at 
once lay down again. 

Nadine was very much alarmed. 

“Caesar ! ” she cried, “this is something seri- 
ous. I have often seen Nalla tired out, and some- 
times sick, but never so bad as this. He no 
doubt needs a warm mash to revive him, and I 
haven’t a thing out of which to make it.” 

Caesar formed a resolution with his wonted 
promptness. 

“ Nadine,” he said, “ I’ll go right away to Ma- 
mezan for the help we need. It is now four 
o’clock. I’ll be back before midnight.” 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


THE RECOVERY OF NALLA. 

“You’re a brave boy, Caesar!” cried Nadine, 
her face glowing with love and pride. “ But do 
you realize what that would mean ? You could 
hardly make a mile an hour through this deep 
snow. It is above your knees, and you would 
soon become exhausted by wading through it. 
No — no — dear brother — it would be folly to try 
it, and, moreover, you cannot do it any way.” 

“ Why so ? ” persisted Caesar, who was 
thoroughly in earnest. “ I’m sure I can do it. 
Just remember that Nalla’s life is in danger. If 
nothing is done for him soon he will surely die.” 

Half-convinced, Nadine looked out upon the 
white wilderness, as bare, as silent, as trackless 
as the ocean. North, south, east, and west not a 
sign of human habitation could be discerned. 
The three young occupants of the shabby old van 
might have been the only people in the world. 
Turning sadly to Caesar, she said with a sigh 

that was more like a sob : 

173 


174 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ In which direction will you go, Caesar ?” 

Caesar gazed earnestly in every direction, ask- 
ing of the horizon the question his sister had put 
to him, but there was no answer forthcoming 
from the encircling gloom. He had overlooked 
the fact that the snow had obliterated the roads, 
and that consequently he would be unable to find 
his way. In a despondent tone he replied : 

“ I won’t go at all, Nadine. I don’t know 
where Mamezan lies. We’ll have to stay here for 
the night, and make the best of it.” 

The big canvas was accordingly used to cover 
poor old Nalla, who lay groaning dolefully, and 
Steady having been tied close to the van so as to 
get all the shelter it could afford, the Tambys 
went to bed supperless. 

Not a star shone in the sky, nor friendly light 
glimmered in the distance. The children were 
alone — utterly alone, on the great plain of which 
the snow had made a white lifeless desert. 

They threw themselves upon their beds without 
undressing, and Abel, poor little chap, did not 
take long to go to sleep, but Csesar and Nadine 
could not thus forget for a time their troubles. 
Again and again did one or other of them get up 
to go to Nalla, who moaned piteously, and at last, 
about four o’clock, they became greatly alarmed 


THE RECOVERY OF NALLA. 175 

by the heartrending cries of the animal, who 
appeared to be in great suffering, and unable to 
lift his head from where it lay upon the frozen 
ground. 

The two children, filled with the keenest con- 
cern, and yet powerless to do anything, re- 
mained by the head of their faithful friend, and 
at break of day were joined by Abel, who had 
awakened from his sleep. 

When Nalla lay down he instinctively turned 
his head to the quarter in which the sun would 
rise, as if he would see for the last time, may be, 
the dawn which had always been a favorite sight 
with him. And now his eyes, almost closed, 
watched the first faint gray lights of a chill 
winter’s morning. 

Perhaps he then had a vision of the far-away 
jungle in which he was born, and where he spent 
his youth. Perhaps this plain, stripped of its 
winding-sheet of snow, that stretched before his 
eyes, recalled to his memory those other plains 
of far greater extent, which he had traversed in 
his own country. Perhaps he saw, as in a mirage, 
the dense thickets of luxurious vegetation in 
which he had taken refuge with his own kind, 
and the savage grandeur of the mysterious regions 
wherein his early years had been spent. 


176 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


May be Nalla in this supreme hour reviewed 
the different stages of his life, from the day when, 
while still a mere calf, he was captured by tamed 
elephants trained to make prisoners of wild ones, 
until when in his fiftieth year he became the pro- 
tector and breadwinner of the Tamby family. 

Lydia had been his particular pet. He loved 
her with the whole strength of his big heart, and 
her sudden disappearance had been a rude shock 
to his already failing health. The tender-hearted 
creature mourned for his darling and could not 
be comforted. 

By eight o’clock it was broad daylight. But 
such a day ! The sky hung low and threatening. 
The heavy clouds were of a sullen gray color. 
The snow seemed ready to resume falling in 
greater quantity. Nadine, Caesar, and Abel did 
not leave the side of their big friend. Nadine 
tenderly patted the limp trunk, while she said, 
soothingly : 

“ Don’t lose heart, Nalla ! It is day again, 
and Caesar will go to the town to get assistance 
for you. We will save you, Nalla. You often 
saved us in critical times, and we are not going 
to let you die. You are our best friend. You 
are not only our chief resource in the gaining of 
our daily bread, but you are, above all, our 


THE RECOVERY OF NALLA. 


177 


old and tried comrade, truest and most devoted 
friend. You are, moreover, our best hope for 
the recovery of Lydia — our dear little Lydia, my 
good Nalla, the little Lydia of whom you are so 
fond. You will live, won’t you, Nalla, to love 
us, and be loved by us in return ? ” 

Nalla remained motionless through all Nadine’s 
tender appeals, yet he seemed to understand 
every word she uttered. His sorrowful little 
eyes were turned towards the children to tell them 
that he understood, and that he was extremely 
sorry to cause them so much anxiety. 

Presently his huge body began to shake with 
violent tremors. It was plain that severe pangs 
tortured him, and he presented a pitiable spectacle 
as he lay there upon the wild waste of snow, to all 
appearances beyond the reach of assistance. 

He could breathe now only with great difficulty, 
and he made pathetic efforts to raise his head in 
order to obtain the air he needed. At last the 
poor creature gathered strength to lift his trunk, 
and pass it around the three children, who were 
sitting beside him, thus drawing them one by 
one nearer to himself. There he held them for 
some minutes as though seeking to have them 
realize how much he was suffering, and how 

deeply he was attached to them. Poor Nalla ! he 
12 


178 THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 

whose cradle bed had been the warm sod of the 
land of sunshine, now had for sick-bed a snow- 
drift ! 

Suddenly Caesar sprang to his feet. 

“ Nadine ! ” he said, “ I believe that the cold 
is making Nalla worse, and that he is likely to 
die here. Can’t we do something to get him 
warm ? ” 

“Yes — yes,” replied Nadine. “We must try 
and make him warm. But how shall we do it ?” 

“ Nadine, it must be done at any cost,” returned 
Caesar. “ First of all let us clear away all the 
snow from about him.” 

So once more the three children set courageously 
to work at sweeping the snow away. When this 
had been accomplished Caesar said briskly : 

“ Now, then, let us make a fire.” 

“ What shall we make it with ? ” asked Nadine, 
looking around as if in hopes of seeing a pile of 
wood somewhere. 

“ With anything — everything,” responded 
Caesar in a determined tone. “ With our van if 
there is nothing else that will do. ” 

At the suggestion of this extreme measure 
Nadine paled, and for a moment showed hesita- 
tion. But it was only for a moment. 

“ Yes, Caesar,” she cried, “ we’ll do it. We’ll 


THE RECOVERY OF NALLA. 179 

make firewood of the van before we’ll let Nalla 
die ! ” 

“ But we won’t begin on the van until we have 
used up everything else,” returned Caesar. 

Without delay they went to work upon their 
fire. The trestles, the planks, and everything 
else that composed their “theater,” their chairs 
and tables and other articles of furniture, thev 
were all sacrificed without demur, and the bon- 
fire presently assumed considerable proportions, 
crackling and roaring cheerfully. 

In its flames Nadine melted snow in a metal 
basin, and made Nalla drink the warm water, 
replenishing the basin again and again until he 
had absorbed several gallons of it. 

After a little, to their infinite joy the big fellow 
began to show signs of improvement. He 
trumpeted in a feeble way, and moved his trunk 
about. His piteous groanings ceased altogether. 
Manifestly he was on the mend. 

“ Bravo, Nadine ! ” exclaimed Caesar, smiling 
radiantly at these cheering signs. “You always 
know just the right thing to do. That hot water 
is making Nalla well again. What a clever girl 
you are ! ” 

Nadine was so ruddy from her exertions and 
the heat of the blaze at which she was working 


180 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


that the blush of pleasure her brother’s praise 
evoked only added a deeper tinge as she made 
haste to reply. 

“ But it was you that thought of the fire, 
Caesar, and if it were not for it there would he 
no hot water, you know,” and she patted him 
lovingly on the shoulder. 

At the end of half-an-hour Nalla got his head 
up, and not long after rose to his feet, although 
he was still very shaky on his great legs. But 
he held his trunk high once more, and looked at 
his young owners with a new brightness in his 
eyes. The danger which threatened his life had 
passed, and Nalla was undoubtedly saved! 

The children were almost delirious with joy. 
They hugged in turn the elephant’s trunk. They 
embraced one another. They danced around 
their big friend singing gleefully until they were 
completely tired out, and then they went back to 
their beds to try and get some sleep before the 
return of day. 



At the end of Half an Hour Nalla got his Head up, 




CHAPTER XIX. 


IN THE NICK OF TIME. 

Snow ! snow ! snow ! in flakes and flurries it 
fell from the skies to the earth as though there 
were no end to it. Not until ten o’clock of the 
following morning did the soft avalanche cease, 
and by that time so much had fallen that Abel 
was lifted on to the roof of the van to sweep away 
the snowy coverlet which had become threaten- 
ing through its weight, while Caesar shook off the 
snow that seemed to be trying to hide the canvas 
which sheltered Steady. 

He gave the old horse the remainder of the hay, 
and went back inside the van to consult with 
Nadine as to what had best be done. Nalla ap- 
peared to be still suffering, but able to stand upon 
his great legs. 

The three children stood at the door of the van 
and gazed eagerly over the wide white plain, and 
then up at the sky. The latter looked decidedly 
unpromising. There was no hint of a change for 

the better in the weather. 

181 


182 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ Well, we certainly can’t stay here ! ” ex- 
claimed Caesar in a tone of decision. “ We must 
find some way of getting out of this fix, or we 
shall all die.” 

“ But how, my dear brother?” asked Nadine 
despondently. 

“HI do what I said at first,” responded Caesar. 
“ I’ll set out alone for Mamezan. I’ll then hire a 
man and a horse to help us and I’ll procure some 
food.” 

“ It seems the only thing to do” said Nadine 
with an anxious sigh. “You’d better go, dear, 
but oh ! be very careful ! ” 

They had their breakfast, and Nadine after an 
examination of their larder, announced that there 
was sufficient food left to do Abel and her until 
night if Caesar did not get back sooner. So ty- 
ing a big handkerchief over his hat that it might 
protect his face as much as possible, buttoning 
up his coat tightly, and taking a short stick, he 
embraced Nadine and Abel, and was ready to 
start. 

But in which direction was he to go ? They all 
three scanned the trackless plain to try and dis- 
cern some sign of a road. It was as white, as 
smooth, as virgin as if no foot of man or beast 
ever crossed it. 


IN THE NICK OF TIME. 


183 

Then to Nadine’s bright brain came a wise 
thought. 

“ When we left Parentes was not Mamezan in 
the west where the sun sets, Caesar ? ” 

“Yes — it was,” responded Caesar, “but there’s 
no sun to be seen now, so we can’t tell anything 
by that.” 

“True enough,” returned Nadine, her pretty 
face bright with intelligence ; “ but you know that 
Nalla every morning turns his head to the rising 
sun. Last night our old friend as usual wanted 
to be ready to see the dawn of the day, and he 
turned towards the east. You should therefore 
go in the opposite direction in which to find 
Mamezan.” 

Caesar’s countenance lost its puzzled look, and 
was brightened by a smile of comprehension. 

“You clever girl ! ” he cried. “You are right, 
of course, as you always are. I never saw the like 
of you for thinking of things. And Nalla, dear 
old Nalla, has come to our help again. Oh, what 
a treasure he is ! ” 

With his mind thus settled Caesar once more 
bade the others good-bye, and started off, trudg- 
ing manfully through the deep snow which made 
the walking hard work for his young legs. 

“ Good-bye, my brother ! ” Nadine called after 


184 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


him. “ A safe journey to Mamezan, and a quick 
return to deliver us from this dreadful place. ” 

Fighting his way through the deep snow which 
made every step a task of difficulty Caesar plodded 
due west, making frequent halts to get his breath, 
and to glance back at the van, which stood out so 
prominently, the only dark spot in that wilderness 
of white. 

He had not gone very far before he found that 
Vigilant was following him, although he had not 
invited him to do so. 

“You good dog!” he cried, well pleased at 
having such a companion, and stooping down 
to pat him vigorously. “ You’re not afraid 
to accompany your master instead of staying 
snugly in the van. I’m so glad to have you with 
me.” 

When Caesar spoke thus he little guessed what 
a fortunate thing the dog’s devotion was to 
prove. 

Vigilant responded with a volley of barks that 
confirmed his intention to stick to his master, but 
had also a plaintive tone as though he would 
imply that, for himself, he would have deemed it 
much wiser to remain in the shelter of the van. 

When they had been walking for about two 
hours Vigilant lay down and held up his paws in 


IN THE NICK OF TIME. 


185 


a significant way, at the same time barking 
piteously. 

“ Why, what is the matter, Vigilant ?” asked 
Caesar with concern. “Are your feet hurting 
you ?” 

As the animal continued his appeals Caesar 
picked him up, and examined his paws. The 
poor little things were extremely sore from con- 
tact with the hard frozen snow and not fit to be 
walked upon. 

“Heigh-ho!” exclaimed Caesar. “There’s 
nothing for it but to carry you,” and gathering 
the dog in his arms he renewed his toilsome 
tramp thus burdened. 

But he was suffering in no small measure 
himself. The cruel cold attacked his face, his 
hands and his feet mercilessly, and to make 
matters worse, his boots, which were in sore need 
of repairs, failed to keep out the snow with which 
they were now filled. Every step was pain. But 
he struggled on heroically, carrying the heavy 
dog. 

About three in the afternoon his eyes were 
gladdened by the sight of a column of smoke 
rising to the sky a long way off. 

“ Bravo ! ” he cried, “ I’m in the right direction. 
I will reach a house soon,” and encouraged by 


186 THE family on wheels. 

this prospect, he pushed ahead with renewed vigor, 
although his strength was fast failing, and the 
walking grew no easier. 

That smoke meant Mamezan without doubt, 
and Mamezan meant relief for them all. He 
must get there before night. 

For another half-hour he plowed laboriously 
through the drifts, and by the end of that time 
the roofs of Mamezan hove into sight through 
the fading light of the day already drawing to a 
close. 

But alas ! with the haven getting so near he 
began to feel that he should not be able to reach 
it. His whole system was on the verge of com- 
plete collapse. Agonizing pains shot through his 
body like stabs from red-hot needles. Then a 
roaring filled his ears. He became blind and 
dizzy, and, at last, succumbing to his sufferings, 
he fell unconscious upon the snow ! 

Vigilant, standing by his master, howled dis- 
mally. His paws having got warm while Caesar 
carried him in his arms, he was able to use them 
again, and he ran hither and thither barking 
frantically, while Caesar with pallid hands and 
face lay motionless. 

Seeing that his young master made no response 
to his appeals Vigilant lifted his head, and looked 


IN THE NICK OF TIME. 


187 


about him in every direction. Then, after a 
moment’s pause he set off at full speed in the 
direction of Mamezan. 

It was now night — a cold dark December night. 
Vigilant kept on at a good pace until suddenly he 
stopped, and turned about. He heard the sound 
of a bell, and saw a good way off the gleam of a 
light that was not still, but was moving towards 
him, while the tinkling of the bell grew clearer. 

With a joyous bark that meant as plainly as 
words : 

“ Hurrah ! there’s some one who will help us,” 
Vigilant scampered over the snow in the direction 
of the light. 

It was borne by the rider of an old and tired 
horse, and this rider was the old cure of Mame- 
zan, Pere Blandiniere, who was returning to the 
town after having dispensed extreme unction to 
a dying member of his congregation. From time 
to time he chirruped to his steed, which seemed 
almost exhausted. 

The good man was greatly surprised at the 
sudden appearance of Vigilant, whose sharp 
barks demanded prompt attention, and he turned 
the rays of the lantern upon the faithful crea- 
ture. 

“ Why, bless me ! ” he exclaimed, bringing his 


188 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


horse to a halt, which was only too easily done. 
“ What’s the meaning of a dog like this being 
away out here alone at such an hour of the 
night ? ” 

For he saw at once that it was no common 
farmer’s dog, but a poodle of high breeding that 
was barking so insistently at his horse’s feet. 

So soon as Yigilant saw that he had attracted 
the cure’s attention he sat up on his hind legs, 
and begged for help in a way that could not be 
misunderstood. 

Then, dropping on all fours, he darted off in 
the direction where Caesar was, and as quickly 
returned to resume his entreaties. The wise old 
man at once grasped the situation. 

“ I understand you, you clever animal ! ” he 
said in a tone of great kindliness. “ Your master 
has succumbed to the cold, and you want me to 
help him. Lead me to him then, I will follow 
at once, and the good God grant I may be in 
time ! ” 

Yigilant, the moment he saw his meaning was 
understood, gave a volley of joyous barks, and 
rushed off towards where he had left Caesar, com- 
ing back every few yards to make sure that the 
cure was following, for in his impatience he went 
much faster than the wearied old horse. 


IN THE NICK OF TIME. 189 

A little later the cure was bending over the 
motionless form of Caesar. 

“ Poor boy ! ” he murmured with deep sympathy. 
“ He still breathes, but he would assuredly have 
died but for this wonderfully intelligent animal.” 

He at once set to work chafing Caesar’s hands 
and cheeks, and, presently, wrapping him in his 
own cloak, lifted him up on to the saddle, hold- 
ing him there while he himself walked beside the 
horse, then, followed by Vigilant, who marched 
along with head and tail erect in proud satisfac- 
tion at having brought rescue to his beloved 
master, they in due time reached the presbytery. 

The cure had the still unconscious boy put into 
a warm bed, where before long he recovered his 
senses, and opened his eyes. 

He looked about the bright cosy room with 
wondering inquiry, and caught the eye of the 
kind priest, who was sitting near him conning 
his breviary and repeating the familiar words to 
himself as the movement of his lips showed. 

“ Ah ! ha ! ” exclaimed Pere Blandiniere in a 
tone of satisfaction as he rose from his seat, and 
approached the bed. “ You have come back to 
life, eh ? I felt sure you would. You are too 
sturdy a lad to let the cold put an end like that 
to you. And how are you feeling now % ” 


190 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Csesar felt so languid, and at the same time so 
entirely comfortable in the soft warm bed that 
his inclination was to lie still and say nothing. 
But he was too courteous a boy to do that, and, 
moreover, as soon as his senses returned, he 
began to think about the others, Nadine and 
Abel, who were so anxiously awaiting his 
return. 

Instinctively he tried to get up, but the cure 
gently pressed him back into the bed. 

“ No — no — my son,” he said, kindly yet firmly. 
“ Just stay where you are for the present. But 
if you feel strong enough pray tell me your 
story.” 

‘‘But Nadine, and Abel, and Nalla,” cried 
Csesar. “They must be saved,” and his big 
dark eyes glowed with intense earnestness as he 
clasped his hands like one in prayer. 

“And they shall be saved, my son,” responded 
the cure soothingly. “Never fear, they shall be 
saved. Tell me all about them.” 

Relieved by this assurance Csesar, now fully 
master of himself, made haste to tell the story of 
the van and how it was lost in the wilderness of 


snow. 


CHAPTER XX. 


IN CARE OF THE CURE. 

The good cure listened with sympathetic in- 
terest. 

“ Help shall be sent to them without delay,” he 
said. “ Your clever dog will no doubt be able to 
guide those who shall go straight to the van, and 
now if you will drink this warm soup which my 
servant has just brought in, and then compose 
yourself to sleep, which you greatly need, you 
may count on finding your brother and sister here 
when you wake again.” 

Caesar obeyed without question. He had per- 
fect faith in the benevolent priest. The welcome 
soup sent thrills of comfort through his whole 
frame, and as soon as he had drunk the last drop 
his head fell back upon the pillow, and he sank 
into a profound sleep. 

Meanwhile the cure had organized a party of 
rescue. Late as the hour was he had no difficulty 
in getting willing responses to his appeals, and 

in a short time several men leading two strong 
191 


192 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


horses set out to find the van, Vigilant proudly- 
acting as guide. 

The sagacious animal took them straight to 
the spot, and at their coming, Nadine, whose 
nerves had been enduring so cruel a strain, burst 
into tears of joy, while Abel capered about shout- 
ing : 

“We’re saved ! We’re saved ! ” and then throw- 
ing himself upon Vigilant, rolled him over in the 
snow in the exuberance of his delight. 

The horses were promptly attached to the van, 
replacing poor old tired-out Steady, who joined 
Nalla at the rear, and the little procession moved 
towards Mamezan at a good pace. 

Father Blandiniere with the aid of his warm- 
hearted housekeeper had everything ready at the 
presbytery for the reception of Nadine and Abel, 
and for the accommodation of their animals. 
They were all well fed, and then retired to rest, 
the children in comfortable beds, and the animals 
in a warm stable. 

It was broad daylight when Caesar awoke, and 
being of a strong constitution, he found himself 
little the worse for the exposure of the previous 
night. He lay there for a while enjoying the 
luxury of the soft bed, and then his desire to know 
about Nadine and Abel impelled him to get up. 


IN CARE OF THE CURE. 


193 


He made his way down-stairs, and opening the 
door, was rejoiced to see the familiar old van in 
the yard with the faithful Nalla standing beside 
it, and seeming to be quite himself again. 

“ Yes — there’s your little house on wheels with 
everything belonging to it,” said a kind voice 
behind him, and Caesar, turning around, saw the 
cure’s housekeeper smiling pleasantly upon him. 
“But you must not expect to see your sister and 
brother for a while yet. They are still sound 
asleep. They were quite worn out, the poor 
things ! ” 

Caesar thanked her warmly for her kindness to 
them, and went out to the stable to see how 
Steady was, stopping on the way to pat Nalla’s 
trunk, and to say affectionately : 

“ You dear monster ! I’m so glad you’re 
better. I hope you’ll not be ill like that again.” 

Old Steady set up a joyous neighing as soon as 
he heard his young master’s footsteps. There 
was nothing the matter with him, and after 
making his little demonstration he resumed 
munching the excellent hay with which the 
manger was liberally supplied. 

It was not until midday that Nadine and Abel 
awoke, and as the three children were exchanging 
embraces the housekeeper came to say that dinner 
J 3 


194 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


was ready, and that the cure invited them all to 
dine with him. 

Wonderfully refreshed by their sound sleep, 
delighted at being together again in so comfort- 
able an establishment, and with the keenest of 
appetites, the three children followed the house- 
keeper into the dining-room where they were 
graciously received by the benevolent cure. 

M. Blandiniere seated them at the table, and 
saw to it that they had thoroughly enjoyed the 
steaming savory soup before he asked them any 
questions. 

Then he drew them out to talk about them- 
selves, and to tell him their whole story, to which 
he listened with deep interest and sympathy. He 
had reached the age of seventy years, for two 
score of which he had been the cure of Mamezan, 
where he was universally beloved for his good 
deeds, and amiable qualities. He was the kind 
providence of the unfortunate, the confidant of 
the young, the most trusted friend of the old, the 
comtorter of the sorrowing, the one whose presence 
was sought above all others by those drawing 
near the dread Valley of the Shadow. 

When Nadine in her clear sweet way had fin- 
ished her recital, the good man murmured as he 
placed his soft white hand gently upon her head : 


IN CARE OF THE CURE. 


195 


“Poor little things! Poor little things! Or- 
phans ! Left alone in the world at the very time 
when most in need of counsel and protection ! ” 

Then he was silent for a moment while the 
children fixed their eyes upon his wrinkled coun- 
tenance that expressed benignity in every line. 
Presently he spoke : 

“ I am very poor, my dears, and am not able to 
do much for you, but however poor one may be 
it is their duty to share what they have with those 
who are still worse off. Your purpose is, you say, 
to continue your journey that you may recover 
your sister, and earn your living. That is right, 
I approve of your resolution, but you are worn 
out. You need a good rest before you can pro- 
ceed, and I am going to keep you for a while. 
We will take good care of your elephant so that 
he may regain his health, and will look after your 
horse and dog. The Christmas festival is at hand. 
We will join you in praying to the good God that 
He will restore to you the little one for whom you 
mourn. I will allow you to give a performance 
at Mamezan before you leave — that is, after the 
Christmas fetes. For the present you are my 
guests, and I want you to enjoy yourselves 
thoroughly.” 

With brimming eyes and quivering lips, for the 


196 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


kindness of the cure moved them deeply, Nadine 
and Caesar tried to find words in which to express 
their gratitude, while Abel, inspired by one of the 
happy impulses of childhood, slipped down from 
his chair, and gliding to the cure’s side, put up 
his face, whispering : 

“ Please may I kiss you, I love you.” 

Bending over the little chap, Father Blandiniere 
encircled him with his arm, and imprinted a kiss 
upon his plump cheek, murmuring to himself : 

“ Truly, of such is the Kingdom of Heaven ! ” 

That afternoon, as the three children were 
strolling about the streets of Mamezan, and 
felicitating themselves upon the happy turn in 
their fortunes, Nadine stopped suddenly and 
said : 

“ But how can we repay the cure’s kindness ? 
We are poor — poorer than ever before, and our 
future is very uncertain.” 

“ Nadine,” responded Caesar, looking very wise, 
<£ I know something that will greatly please the 
cure. I have spoken to the sacristan, and he said 
it was a capital idea, and I promised him to carry 
it out.” 

“ And what did you promise?” asked Nadine 
eagerly. 

“ Ah ! that is my secret, which I shall keep 


IN CARE OF THE CURE. 


197 

carefully,” responded Caesar. “ But I assure you 
that it will give the cure great pleasure.” 

After the evening meal, which they had at an 
early hour, they all went to bed to get a good 
sleep before midnight. In good time the house- 
keeper aroused them, and, having dressed care- 
fully, they went to the village church, Nadine 
and Abel in company with the housekeeper, while 
Cassar, so full of his secret that he could hardly 
trust himself to speak, joined the sacristan, who 
was evidently waiting for him. 

They found the church already well filled for the 
celebration of the midnight mass. There were 
bronzed fishermen and bearded miners by the 
score, for it was a custom faithfully observed in 
that village that the men should never miss 
the Christmas Mass if they could possibly be 
present. 

At the last stroke of midnight the priest, good 
Father Blandiniere, took his place before the 
altar, and the solemn service began. 

It must be admitted that at Mamezan they 
were not very exacting in regard to the singing 
of the chants. There was only the sacristan, who 
in a hard, rough voice led a handful of boys, who 
had very little notion either of time or tune. In- 
deed, it was quite a grief to the venerable priest 


198 THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 

that he could not have better music at his church. 
But the people were too poor to pay for an organ 
and an organist, and so they had to be content 
with the well-meaning but far from harmonious 
sacristan. 

The choir, if it may be so called, was placed in 
a little gallery over the main entrance, and into 
this gallery Caesar followed the sacristan. 

Nadine had wondered why he did not go with 
them to the church, and had been looking for 
him all over the building. At last she caught 
sight of him in the gallery, and gave a start of 
surprise. 

“ Why, what can Caesar be doing there ? ” she 
said to herself. Just then the sacristan made a 
sign to him, and he advanced to the front of the 
gallery with his mandolin in hand. 


CHAPTER XXI. 


THE RETURN TO MORAINVILLE. 

As the first sweet notes fell from Caesar’s 
fingers, the congregation turned their heads to 
see what this novel music meant, and Nadine, 
catching Abel’s arm, whispered : 

“Now I know the secret. Caesar is going to 
sing ‘ Minuit Chretien ,’ he knows it perfectly.” 

Then a great silence settled upon the worship- 
ers. It seemed as if they hardly breathed in their 
eager expectancy. 

M. Blandiniere was taken completely by sur- 
prise. The secret had been well kept. But he 
felt it in his heart that all would be well, and, 
pausing before beginning the Pater Noster , he 
stood with his arms outstretched towards his peo- 
ple, and the tears dimming his eyes while Caesar’s 
clear sweet voice filled the church with the lovely 
music of the Cantique de Noel. 

It was a beautiful and impressive scene. 
Thrilled with the purest emotions, Nadine stood 
as in a dream. But for one thing, she would 
have been in a very heaven of joy— if only little 


200 THE family on wheels. 

Lydia stood beside her with Abel ! Instinctively 
her heart was lifted to the good God that he 
would soon restore her darling sister to her. 

When Caesar finished there followed an inter- 
val of silence, and then the noble old priest, 
turning from the altar to the people, chanted in 
a voice trembling with tears, the Pater Noster. 

For the first time in its history, the old church 
of Mamezan had heard the notes of a mandolin, 
and for the first time also, perhaps, had the sim- 
ple villagers listened to so sweet and touching 
a rendering of the exquisite Cantique de Noel. 

When the midnight Mass was ended the con- 
gregation returned to their homes, and for some 
time there echoed through the still, cold air of 
the night the clatter of their sabots upon the 
hard frozen ground. 

The Tambys went back to the presbytery where 
Father Blandiniere, taking Caesar’s hands in his, 
thanked him in these sincere, simple words : 

“ I thank you, my dear child, with all my 
heart. You have afforded me a great pleasure 
this night.” 

The Christmas celebration being over the chil- 
dren began preparations to leave Mamezan and 
the good cure who had proved so timely a bene- 
factor. M. Blandiniere had given them permis- 


THE RETURN TO MORAINVILLE. 201 

sion to give one performance before leaving the 
village. But they were very much concerned 
regarding it. Their program now seemed to 
be so sadly shortened with Lydia gone, and their 
“ theater” destroyed. There remained just the 
amusing act of Steady and Vigilant, Caesar’s 
sleight-of-hand tricks and Nadine’s pretty songs, 
excepting, of course, Nalla, who was their strong- 
est card. 

But they could not wait to rehearse new acts, 
for they must lose no further time in prosecuting 
the search for Lydia. 

So the performance proved a disappointment, 
and the takings were very meager indeed. The 
Mamezan folk, it is true, were mostly poor, and 
had little money to spare, yet all the same it was 
with heavy hearts that they bade good-bye to the 
kind cure and once more took the road. 

They were not far beyond the boundaries of 
the village, for poor old Steady made slow prog- 
ress with the heavy van, when a man caught 
hold of his bridle, and made him stop, which in- 
deed he was only too glad to do. 

“My children, you go no farther in that 
direction. I have come for you.” 

Nadine, Caesar, and Abel instead of being 
alarmed at this startling action, joined in an ex- 


202 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


clamation of surprise and joy, for it was not a 
highway robber that had thus halted them, but 
an old acquaintance whom they were delighted 
to recognize — no other than the kind old consta- 
ble of Morainville, who had so befriended them at 
that place. 

What could he be doing there — nearly a hun- 
dred miles away from home ? 

Divining their astonishment at his appearance 
the constable made haste to speak. 

“ You are surprised to see me, no doubt. For 
eight days have I been following you stage by 
stage of your journey. I have good news for 
you.” 

“ Lydia ! ” at once cried the three children to- 
gether. She was their first thought. No matter 
what their trials might be they seemed as nothing 
to them in comparison with the loss of Lydia. 

But the constable shook his head. 

“ No— not Lydia yet,” he answered in a lower 
tone. “We shall find her soon, never fear. But 
I have come to take you back with me.” 

“ To take us back with you ? ” exclaimed Nadine. 

‘ * What do you mean, my dear constable ? ” 

“ Just what I say,” the old man responded, 
smiling upon her. “ It is the order of Madame 
Pradere. She has sent me for you.” 


THE RETURN TO MORAINVILLE. 203 

“Madame Pradere!” echoed Nadine, her own 
countenance brightening at the mention of the 
name. “ Our kind benefactress ! Does she really 
want us to go to her ? ” 

“To be sure!” returned the constable, who 
evidently enjoyed his mission. “You don’t 
know how sorely she has been bereaved since 
you were at Morainville.” 

“Yes — I do,” replied Nadine, softly, her eyes 
filling with tears. “ She lost her husband by a 
dreadful accident.” 

“Ah! She has changed greatly since then,” 
the constable went on. “Her hair has become 
almost white. There was a time when they 
feared for her reason.” 

“ The poor lady ! ” murmured Nadine. “ How 
she must have suffered ! ” 

“Yes — ah yes ! ” sighed the constable. “ And 
she wants to be comforted in her loneliness. She 
has neither husband nor children now, and so 
she sent me off to find you, and bring you back. 
She has resolved to take care of you for the 
future.” 

Nadine and Caesar looked at one another in be- 
wilderment. What could the constable mean? 
If they did not know how good and kind he was 
they might have thought he was out of his 


204 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


senses. Madame Pradere to adopt them ! Surely 
it was too good to be true ! 

But the constable soon convinced them that he 
was altogether in earnest. Madame Pradere had 
sent him for them, and they must return with 
him. He had his orders, and he was bound to 
carry them out. So, casting away all doubt, 
they placed themselves under his guidance. 

Nalla and Steady were then turned about, and 
pointed in precisely the opposite direction. That 
is, they were to proceed due north instead of due 
south. 

It was the constable’s first experience of travel- 
ing by van, and he took to it very kindly, saying 
over and over again that it was decidedly a most 
pleasant means of locomotion. 

“ You certainly get a good view of the country, 
and have time to become well acquainted with it,” 
was his sagacious comment. 

He had ample funds wherewith Madame 
Pradere had thoughtfully provided him, and the 
Tambys enjoyed every needed comfort, while 
the animals were fed as never before. 

Under this generous treatment Nalla com- 
pletely recovered his health, and old Steady 
positively grew fat, the ribs that had been show- 
ing so plainly going quite out of sight. 


THE RETURN TO MORAINVILLE. 205 

For a score of days they traveled steadily but 
slowly, and what between entire relief from all 
anxiety as to their daily bread, the unwonted 
abundance of excellent food, and their thoroughly 
healthy outdoor life in the pleasant company of 
the genial constable, the three children improved 
wonderfully in appearance, so that by the time 
they reached Morainville they were each and all 
looking their very best. 

It was with an amusing yet surely pardonable 
air of proud satisfaction that the constable con- 
ducted them to the Pradere chateau. 

He had taken the precaution of informing 
Madame Pradere in advance of their arrival, and 
she was ready to receive them with a warm and 
tender greeting. 

Nadine was touched to tears when she saw how 
the good lady had altered and aged in the short 
space of time since she parted from her. Her 
abundant hair was almost snow-white, her beau- 
tiful features were deeply lined, and her step had 
lost all its spring. She moved and spoke softly. 

But there was no mistaking her pleasure at the 
return of the children. Both from the magis- 
trate at Beaulieu, and Father Blandiniere she 
had had letters in regard to them. She knew 
much of their sufferings, and she was eager to 


206 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


console them for their trials, and to forget her 
own sorrows in the endeavor to make them 
happy. 

“ My dear children,” she said after she had 
embraced them in turn, “it is because I myself 
have suffered that I want you, who are still so 
young, to forget your many tribulations. I once 
had children of my own. The good God gave 
them to me. But He took them from me again, 
and now I want to fill the empty place that they 
have left. I shall take entire care of you, and 
shall be responsible for your future. You shall 
share all that I possess, and be denied nothing 
that will be for your good. The search for your 
sister Lydia shall be continued until she is found 
and restored to you. And now, my dear children, 
are you content to accept my proposal ? ” 

Content to accept her offer — the advantages 
and attractions of which were so great that they 
could scarcely credit their understanding of it — ? 
Indeed they were content — and more — they were 
filled with rapture and gratitude. It meant their 
admission into a veritable Paradise. No more 
hunger— no more cold— no more anxiety about 
food or clothing — no more rough or rascally 
people to deal with — oh, how good it was of God 
to give them such a friend ! 


CHAPTER XXII. 


REUNITED AT LAST. 

The days that followed were very happy ones 
for the Tamby children, and dear kind Madame 
Pradere found wonderful soothing of her own 
sorrows in the frank delight they showed at the 
ease and luxury they now enjoyed. 

The Pradere chateau was surrounded by ample 
grounds in which Nalla was provided with a 
roomy substantial stable for himself, and through 
which Caesar loved to roam accompanied by 
Vigilant, who evidently quite appreciated being 
relieved of all rehearsals and public perform- 
ances. 

The old van, that had so long been the only 
home the children possessed, was put in a corner 
of the carriage-yard where Abel, who soon found 
plenty of playmates, had great fun with it, using 
it now as a house, and again as a fort, and so on 
after the manner of youngsters with a lively 
imagination. 

At the end of a fortnight Madame Pradere 
said to the two boys : 


207 


208 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


“ Now we must see to your education. You 
must be well fitted for the career that is before 
you, and so I have arranged that you shall enter 
the Lycee to-morrow, if you have no objections. ” 

Both Caesar and Abel were only too glad to 
obey. What education they possessed had been 
given them by their parents, who had done their 
best under the difficult circumstances of their 
lives. But it was of course very imperfect and 
no one realized this more keenly than Caesar, who 
had not a lazy bone in his body, and was charged 
with ambition to be of some account in the world, 
while Abel was inspired by his big brother, whom 
he fairly worshiped. 

Nadine would remain by the side of Madame 
Pradere, who desired no better companion than 
the charming girl with her gentle ways, sweet 
voice, quick intelligence, and tender heart, whose 
one thought was to bring sunshine into the 
shadowed heart of her benefactress. 


Ten years have come and gone, and many things 
have happened, the recital of which would fill 
another book, so that of course it cannot be given 
here. Suffice it to say that they were years full 


REUNITED AT LAST. 


209 


of happiness for the Tambys, and of proud satis- 
faction for Madame Pradere, who every day 
found cause to congratulate herself upon having 
taken them into her home and heart. 

Nadine, now twenty-six years of age, had grown 
into a beautiful woman with a grace and dignity 
of manner and sincerity of heart that rendered 
her inexpressibly charming. She was devoted to 
Madame Pradere, who regarded her just as if she 
were her own daughter, placing absolute confi- 
dence in her, and giving her every advantage 
that wealth and culture could procure. 

In no part of her duties as Madame’s lieutenant 
did Nadine take more delight than in ministering 
to the poor and suffering. Her own early experi- 
ence had taught her the miseries of poverty and 
sickness, and she was indefatigable in doing good, 
so that all Morainville esteemed and loved her as 
they did Madame Pradere. 

Caesar for a time gave his sister and his patron- 
ess considerable concern. He did not take kindly 
to book-learning, and made a poor showing at the 
Lycee, the truth of the matter being that he was 
possessed by a passion for a quite different kind of 
study. His ambition was to be a singer. 

As he grew older his voice, so strong and sweet 

in boyhood, had developed into a singularly fine 
14 


210 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


tenor, and, having a quick and true ear, as well 
as the gift of dramatic expression, he was in great 
demand among Madame Pradere’s friends, who 
made a great deal of him. 

At first both Nadine and Madame Pradere were 
opposed to his adopting singing as a career. 
They would have preferred some more ordinary 
profession, but when they saw that Caesar’s heart 
was set upon it, and that he would never be con- 
tent at anything else, they gave way, and he was 
sent to the Conservatory, whence in due time he 
graduated with the medal of honor. 

It is now late in December, and they are all at 
the chateau except Caesar, who has just made his 
debut in opera at Paris, and scored a grand suc- 
cess. The journals were unanimous in their 
praise, and in acclaiming the appearance of a new 
tenor of the first quality for whom they confi- 
dently predicted a brilliant career. Madame 
Pradere, and Nadine have been thrilled with pride 
and joy over the triumph of their loved one, and 
there is no longer any question as to the wisdom 
of his choice of a profession. Caesar having thus 
justified himself in the fullest measure, is return- 
ing to the chateau for a short holiday, and his 
coming is eagerly awaited. 

The chateau was ablaze with lights, and stirring 


REUNITED AT LAST. 


211 


with bustle, for Madame Frangoise, the sharp- 
tongued housekeeper, who was nevertheless the 
most faithful of servants, was sparing no pains to 
make Caesar’s reception as brilliant as possible. 

Nadine, her countenance radiant, and her eyes 
aglow, looked more than usually lovely, while 
Abel, a comely lad now nearing his majority, 
presented a fine appearance in his cadet uni- 
form. 

Vigilant was still alive, although very feeble. 
He was wholly blind, and almost deaf, and never 
ventured outside the inclosure of the chateau. 
Nevertheless when feeling in good spirits, and on 
being taken notice of, he would make an effort at 
remembering his accomplishments, and do his 
best to stand upon his hind legs, and salute with 
his fore-paws as of old. But he was very tottery 
in his doing of it. 

Out in the park Nalla lived a life of luxurious 
leisure. Being only a little over sixty years of 
age he was, for an elephant, still in the heyday 
of youth, and enjoyed himself immensely, having 
plenty of room to roam around, abundant food of 
the best quality, and a spacious lodge into which 
to retire if the weather was inclement. 

Nadine never failed to pay him a daily visit, 
and, catching sight of her at a distance, he would 


212 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


trumpet joyfully, making the welkin ring with 
raucous exclamations. 

Poor old Steady had long ago lain down never 
to rise again, dying contentedly of old age after 
his life of toil and trouble. 

In good time Caesar arrived. He had grown 
into a very handsome man. With his father’s 
stalwart shapely figure, and his mother’s regular 
features, and fine brown eyes, he had inherited 
many of the good qualities of both parents. 
Through all his experiences of the world and its 
temptations he had remained a frank, fearless, 
unsullied boy who loved his sister Nadine to the 
point of adoration, and regarded Madame Pradere 
as the best and kindest of friends to whom he could 
never be sufficiently grateful. 

The reunion was an inexpressibly happy one. 
The young people had a thousand things to tell 
each other, and as they chatted away like mag- 
pies, Madame Pradere watching them with tear- 
dimmed eyes, but swelling heart, murmured 
softly : 

“ The good God bless them ! They are the sun- 
shine of my life.” 

At breakfast the following morning Caesar 
surprised her by asking permission to take Nadine 
away with him for a few days. 


REUNITED AT LAST. 


213 


“ Where do you wish to take her, Caesar ?” 
Madame Pradere inquired. 

“I want to fulfill a vow that I made the day I 
entered the Conservatory,” answered Caesar, and 
on his explaining what the vow was, Madame at 
once said : 

“ I heartily approve, Caesar. It will be a lovely 
thing to do, and not only shall Nadine and 
Abel accompany you, hut I shall also go with 
you.” 

Two days later Madame and the three young 
people took the midday train at the railway 
station, it being the twenty-third of December. 

Where were they going — and how was it that 
Madame Pradere, who had not gone out since her 
husband’s death, went with them ? 

These were the questions that set Morainville 
agog, but the secret was well kept, and no one 
could answer them, save with a mere guess. 

Their destination was the little village of Ma- 
mezan, which they now revisited after an ab- 
sence of ten years, and in which they found 
little change, except that there were many more 
crosses in the cemetery beside the shabby old 
church. 

Good Father Blandiniere was still in charge, 
but the venerable priest was very frail, being 


214 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


over eighty years of age, the oldest cure and the 
most beloved in the whole country. 

Night had come, and with it the snow. From 
the windows of the Mamezan houses the light 
streamed out upon the ill- kept sidewalks, which 
as it drew towards midnight began to be crowded 
with the villagers clattering noisily in their 
wooden sabots. 

They were all going in the one direction, that 
is, churchward, for the Christmas midnight Mass 
was about to be celebrated. 

The little edifice was crowded by reverent wor- 
shipers, but who were the strange ladies in such 
rich attire, and the strapping young fellow in the 
rich uniform ? 

Nobody knew, although every one tried hard 
to get a good look at them, and to see if they 
could not recognize them. 

Presently the little bell tinkled, and the aged 
priest slowly descended the altar steps. He seemed 
very feeble, and his long hair, white as the snow 
outside, lay upon his shoulders. With trembling 
hands he elevated the Host while the congrega- 
tion kneeled, and the bell once more tinkled. 

At that moment the clear, sweet notes of a 
mandolin floated down from the little gallery 
over the entrance, and then a superb tenor voice, 


REUNITED AT LAST. 215 

of wonderful power and expression, began the 
beautiful Cantique de Noel : 

“ Tout bruit s’eteint, lesoir s’acheve 
Dans un silence triomphant ; 

L’ enfant cede a l’heure du reve 
Et le reve berce Penfant, 

Noel ! Noel ! ” 

All sounds are hushed, for night has come 
In silence earth unfolding ; 

The children far through dreamland roam 
Rare joys in sleep beholding. 

Noel ! Noel ! 

At the first notes, the old priest instinctively 
turned towards his flock. It was the same chant 
that ten years before had been sung by the young 
mountebank. But the voice was not that of the 
boy, although the playing of the mandolin was 
surely the same. 

With brimming eyes and fluttering heart the 
old man listened as though spell-bound. Never 
before had such glorious music filled his obscure 
little church. It was as though an angel sang. 

When the service concluded, Madame Pradere 
and the Tambys remained to exchange greetings 
with Father Blandiniere. The venerable cure 
was so deeply moved that he found difficulty in 
speaking. He embraced Nadine, and Caesar, and 


216 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS. 


Abel, affectionately, murmuring, in a scarcely 
audible voice : 

‘ ‘ My dear children ! My dear children ! It is 
good of God to permit me to see you again, and 
all so happy ! ” 

The travelers had arranged to leave for home 
on the following evening, but they were told that 
a traveling circus was to give a great perform- 
ance that evening, and Caesar begged Madame 
Pradere to remain over, as he was anxious to be 
present. 

“It will remind us,” he said to Nadine, “of 
the poor little representation that we gave here 
ten years ago, when we were in such hard luck.” 

Madame Pradere readily consented, and in the 
evening they all went to the circus, which they 
found crowded to its utmost capacity. 

The performance was a very good one of its 
kind. There were expert acrobats, tumblers, 
tight-rope walkers, bare-back riders, and sev- 
eral highly-amusing clowns. One clown, called 
“ Mossieu Frisch,” was particularly diverting with 
his jokes and antics. Caesar, looking at him 
closely, was suddenly impressed with the idea 
that he had seen him before. But when, and 
where ? His recollection was confused. He could 
neither identify nor locate the funny fellow. 


REUNITED AT LAST. 


217 


Presently the attendants began to place hurdles 
about the ring, and to bring in large hoops cov- 
ered with parti-colored paper. Then Mossieu 
Frisch announced with a great flourish that the 
world-renowned equestrienne, Mademoiselle Ro- 
salba, would perform her thrilling feats. At the 
same moment a superb snow-white horse, having 
on its back a broad pad covered with satin and 
spangles, galloped into the ring, followed by a 
pretty girl in circus costume, who leaped lightly 
to the pad. 

The instant she appeared there rang out above 
the music of the band a threefold cry of 

“ Lydia ! Lydia ! Lydia ! ” 

The equestrienne sprang to the ground, stood 
for a moment as if she doubted what eyes and 
ears were telling her, and then, darting across 
the ring, threw herself into the outstretched 
arms of Nadine and Caesar and Abel, that en- 
circled her so as almost to hide her from sight. 

For it was Lydia — their own darling sister — so 
long lost, and now by kind Providence restored 
to them. 

A scene of great excitement ensued. The 
spectators marveled what it all meant, and 
whether it was some novel feature of the per- 
formance. The performance was of course sus- 


218 


THE FAMILY ON WHEELS . 


pended, and presently the ubiquitous gendarmes 
appeared to make inquiry. 

Csesar called upon them to arrest Mossieu 
Frisch, whom he felt sure had been responsible 
for Lydia’s abduction, and they at once laid hands 
upon him, and took him off to prison. He was 
indeed the very man who had put his van in 
place of theirs at Beaulieu, and had afterwards 
so startled Nadine by peeping in through the 
window when they were reckoning up their 
receipts. 

It appeared that the circus had but recently 
returned to France after many years traveling 
through Italy and Germany, and that was why 
all efforts to trace and rescue Lydia had been in 
vain. 

So — all’s well that ends well. Lydia, despite 
her hard life with the circus, had grown into a 
very attractive girl, little spoiled by her surround- 
ings. Madame Pradere’s party had but four 
members when it left Morainville, but five when 
it returned. The kind-hearted lady was only too 
delighted to have one more child to mother, and 
the Tambys rejoiced beyond description at the 
restoration of the sister about whose absence 
they had never ceased to grieve. 

The future stretched before them with every 


REUNITED AT LAST . 


219 


promise of happiness. They had had their hard 
times, and their bitter griefs, and had borne 
them bravely. Now through a beneficent Pro- 
vidence these were all over and past. And richly 
they deserved their good fortune, for, amid all 
their vicissitudes had they not kept their lives 
pure, and their hearts simple ? 


FINIS. 


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